Yahoo Autos 2022 Nissan Rogue Review | New engine makes huge difference
Better late than never, as they say. The 2022 Nissan Rogue sees an all-new engine introduced, only one year after everything else about Nissan’s compact SUV was totally redesigned. That’ll be disappointing news to everyone who got a Rogue last year, but terrific news for those considering this 2022. And you absolutely should consider the 2022. It’s far better to drive than its rather dreary predecessor, and the new 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder makes it even better. Yes, three cylinders. Don’t worry, it’s hardly the only such engine out there, and the odd number (literally and figuratively) actually gives it a charming little character.
The rest of the Rogue stands out with its compelling design inside and outside. The interior in particular is one of the segment’s finest efforts, especially (and perhaps obviously) in upper trim levels, where padded and stitched simulated leather covers the dash, doors and center console. You also get well-executed if unremarkable infotainment tech, decent storage, and interior space that falls just a little short of the class big boys (Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V). In most respects, we think the Rogue is overshadowed by those (largely because it does not offer a hybrid powertrain), but it’s fully competitive and worth a look.
Interior & Technology | Passenger & Cargo Space | Performance & Fuel Economy
What it's like to drive | Pricing & Trim Levels | Crash Ratings & Safety Features
What's new for 2022?
The Rogue gains very welcome improvement under the hood for 2022. The 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-three joins an updated CVT with lower and higher ratios to produce a much better Rogue to drive.
What are the Rogue interior and in-car technology like?
The best element of the Rogue is its interior, which is right at the top of its class in both design and quality. A number of two-tone interior color combinations are offered, but even an all-black SV tester featured a weave-like pattern to the leatherette upholstery that nicely spruced things up. Even the open pore "wood" on the Platinum is convincing to the eye, if still fake. That top trim (pictured below) is also adorned with contrast stitching on the doors, dash and the seats. The latter of which are covered in semi-aniline leather and feature Nissan’s incredibly comfortable “Zero Gravity” seat design front and rear.
The dash and center console consist of a pleasing combination of digital screens and physical controls. An 8-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard, but the top Platinum trim gets an upsized 9-inch screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard with both screens, but the 9-inch screen comes with wireless Apple CarPlay. Lower grades get an analog instrument panel with a 7-inch display in the center (no complaints with either), but the Platinum trim comes with a fully-digital 12.3-inch panel that's easy to read and moves through the various screens and menus quickly via steering wheel buttons. A large head-up display comes paired with the fully digital instrument panel, too. Other available features we like include a panoramic moonroof, tri-zone climate control and wireless phone charger.
How big is the Rogue?
The Rogue measures up well versus other compact crossovers. It has one of the more passenger-friendly back seats in the segment, one that measures up with the RAV4, CR-V, Tucson and Sportage. We found there is plenty of room for a rear-facing infant car seat and there is a LATCH anchor in the middle position (unlike the last Rogue), but the anchor points were not big enough to accommodate our Gracco car seat's clips. As always, we'd recommend bringing along your own car seat on a test drive.
Maximum cargo capacity (second row dropped) is up to 74.1 cubic feet, a number that barely trails the class best. Space behind the raised second-row comes out to 31.6 cubic feet, which we found to be a very useful amount. Still, it also couldn’t fit quite as much as the Tucson, CR-V and RAV4. However, we tested a Rogue (pictured below left) without the innovative and useful “Divide-N-Hide” cargo floor (below right). Besides increasing cargo volume to 36.5 cubic feet, it consists of two movable floorboards — keep them in for a flat floor; remove them for additional depth, or arrange them into a stacked formation to divide the cargo area into separate parts. A new milk gallon holder aft of the wheels is built into the cargo area floor, so now your gallon of milk, water or whatever won’t annihilate the rest of your groceries on the way back from the store.
What are the Rogue fuel economy and performance specs?
For 2022, the Rogue is only available with a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-three that produces 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque. These figures gives the Rogue one of the strongest standard engines in the compact SUV segment as opposed to one of the weakest. Front- and all-wheel-drive versions are available, but every Rogue still has a continuously variable transmission standard.
Fuel economy with front-wheel drive is 30 mpg city, 37 mpg highway and 33 mpg combined (it falls to 29/36/32 with the SL and Platinum trims). The all-wheel-drive Rogue returns 28/35/31, with the SL and Platinum differing with 34 mpg highway.
Unfortunately, there is no Rogue hybrid or plug-in hybrid.
