Nissan’s Rogue has long been a top-seller in Canada’s compact crossover SUV segment, and the all-new, ultra-stylish, well-equipped 2021 version could push it even further forward as a key frontrunner.
The Smyrna, Tennessee-built sport utility will soon be in its third generation (we covered all the most important details in a recent story), the current model having been with us since 2013 and its predecessor, which replaced the 2005-2006 X-Trail in Canada (a name that it still goes by in many other markets), dating back to 2007. While the current Rogue has been extremely successful for the Japanese automaker, sales have been slowly slipping while the entire SUV sector has been experiencing a significant growth spurt.
The new 2021 Rogue should help Nissan Canada claw back some of the model’s lost ground, thanks to a more rugged design, a more upscale interior environment with newer, higher-end electronics, more standard features, and plenty of additional upgrades. This said, the new Rogue will cost entry-level compact SUV buyers $1,000 more than last year’s model, with a new base price of 28,498 plus freight and fees.
The sizeable price hike was due to a major load of new standard features, including LED headlamps, 17-inch alloy wheels, a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel with standard shift paddles, Intelligent Key remote entry, a six-way driver’s seat with standard power lumbar, and more.
Some of the latter items include additional advanced driver assistance features from the previous model’s standard allotment, that 2020 SUV including Intelligent Emergency Braking, Intelligent Blind Spot Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert in all trims. Now, the 2021 Rogue gets most Nissan Safety Shield 360 tech upgrades like a more advanced Intelligent Emergency Braking system including Pedestrian Detection, plus Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist, and Rear Intelligent Emergency Braking.
The updated 2021 Rogue also comes standard with Nissan’s Rear Door Alert (RDA) system that was standard last year too. When arriving at your destination, RDA alerts the driver if someone or something was placed in the rear seating area before leaving, while on top of this the renewed utility features an Intelligent Driver Alertness system across the line. Finally, the new 2021 Rogue gets 10 airbags as standard equipment.
Of course, important technologies like NissanConnect with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard in the 2021 Rogue too, as is a reverse camera and satellite radio, but the main touchscreen that these features are displayed on increases in size from 7.0 to 8.0 inches in the base S and mid-range SV trims, while the top-line Platinum gets a 1.0-inch enhancement as well, up from 8.0 inches to 9.0. Nissan also adds a powered USB-C port to the centre stack for a total of two, while all trims include Siri Eyes Free, Bluetooth wireless phone connectivity with audio streaming, hands-free text messaging assistance, pushbutton start/stop, plus more.
The Rogue continues into 2021 with the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine as last year’s model, still making 170 horsepower and 175 lb-ft or torque. Additionally, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) combines the ease of an automatic with more efficient fuel economy. Base S and SV trims come standard with front-wheel drive, while an extra $2,300 adds Nissan Intelligent All-Wheel Drive to either trim, along with a drive mode selector complete with Terrain, Snow, Normal, Eco and Sport settings. When Eco mode is selected the new Rogue gets a 9.6 L/100km city, 7.5 highway and 8.7 combined rating with AWD, or 9.1 L/100km, 7.1 and 8.2 respectively with FWD.
Aforementioned SV trim starts at $31,998 with FWD or $34,298 with AWD, and adds 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, body-colour door handles, roof rails, remote engine start, proximity keyless access for the rear doors, UV-reducing solar glass, Nissan’s 360-surround Intelligent AroundView Monitor, Intelligent Cruise Control, Intelligent Blind Spot intervention, Intelligent Lane Intervention, ProPilot Assist partial-self-driving, an eight-way power driver’s seat, two more audio speakers for a total of six, a power panoramic moonroof, two rear USB charging ports, Wi-Fi, plus a security system. If you still want more, an SV Premium Package (exclusive to the AWD model) adds Prima-Tex leatherette seat upholstery, sunshades on the rear door windows, heated rear outboard seats, and a power liftgate.
The majority of features just noted are standard on the Rogue Platinum that starts at $39,998, other than the 18-inch alloys that grow to 19 inches in diameter, the dual-zone automatic climate control system that includes rear controls for three zones, the power driver’s seat that adds memory, the leatherette upholstered seats that get upgraded to quilted semi- aniline leather, the power liftgate that adds motion detection, the main touchscreen that (as noted earlier) increases its diameter to 9.0 inches while adding Nissan’s “Door-to-Door” navigation, Navi-link to the ProPilot Assist system, and four more Bose speakers to the audio system.
The 2021 Rogue Platinum also improves forward lighting with LED fog lamps, while adding front parking sensors to those in the rear, interior ambient lighting, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, tilt-reversing side mirrors, an state-of-the-art 12.3-inch “Digital Dashboard” primary instrument cluster, a premium-level 10.8-inch head-up display that projects key info onto the windscreen, Traffic Sign Recognition (that might save you from getting an expensive speeding ticket), an ultra-convenient wireless charging pad, a driver seat-mounted front-centre supplemental airbag, a four-way power front passenger seat, a remote folding rear seat, and an updated Divide-n-Hide storage system in back.
To learn more about the 2021 Nissan Rogue, be sure to check out our comprehensive “Nissan gives its best-selling Rogue a ground-up redesign for 2021” news story, but if you’d rather save massively on the 2020 version, make certain to visit the 2020 Nissan Rogue Canada Prices page, where you’ll see how to receive up to $5,000 in additional incentives (and remember, it’s already $1,000 more affordable).
A CarCostCanada membership can save you thousands on a 2020 Rogue purchase, or any one of its rivals, such as the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V or Mazda CX-5. You’ll get access to current rebate information, all the latest manufacturer lease and financing deals, plus dealer invoice pricing that’ll give you the best possible advantage when negotiating your deal, while downloading the free CarCostCanada mobile app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store puts all this critically important info onto your phone, so you can access it when you need it most.
Story credits: Trevor Hofmann
Photo credits: Nissan