The 2021 Nissan Rogue has fake roof rails

I'm in the process of reviewing the new Yakima CBX Solar roof carrier. I've mounted it to a Subaru Outback and my own Audi Allroad, while a new Subaru Crosstrek Sport will be next. Alas, the 2021 Nissan Rogue SV currently in my driveway won't get the chance to ride around with Spock's coffin on its back.

You see, the Rogue has fake roof rails. Although they appear to be flush rails at first glance, they are in fact made of plastic and lack the grooves necessary for rack towers to clamp onto. Instead, there are little plastic covers that pop off with a flathead screwdriver to reveal static mounting points. These are vaguely similar to what you can find on various BMW sedans and even the Porsche 911 that are hidden behind little doors in their roofs.

I have never seen anything like this so I reached out to the Yakima fit team. Apparently, the Nissan Murano has the same thing, but it makes for a tough fit, so to speak. "Nissan is rarely kind to us," said fit technician Taylor Thompson. Indeed, the Yakima website indicates that none of its rack systems are compatible with the Murano (Yakima has yet to "fit" the new Rogue).

While Yakima says it's working on a fit solution for the Rogue, Nissan will presumably sell some of its own crossbars as it does on the Murano for a reasonable $370 (though dealers tend to upcharge accessories). The fact that there are two screw-in points, rather than the one you'll find in those Yakima-compatible BMWs and Porsches, would seem to be the compatibility problem. Now, regardless of where the crossbars come from, the Murano at least offers a variety of Yakima racks that attach to them. I assume that will be the case with the Rogue as well.