The 2021 Nissan Rogue SL's Successful Update With Modernity and Refinement

Let me start by saying that for its third generation, the 2021 Nissan Rogue is seen as a beefier and significantly more luxurious SUV. Nissan has also changed the look of the 2021 Rogue to be a bit more assertive in its appearance. it's sort of like how the RAV4 evolved. "We like the look. Maybe you will too," writes Torque News senior reporter John Goreham in this recent review of the 2021 Nissan Rogue.

We have been hearing for some time that Nissan is about to present a whole new range of vehicles while carrying out massive plant restructuring. Here is the first vehicle of this new era. This is the 2021 Nissan Rogue, a new utility vehicle that, in principle, will help get Nissan back on its feet in finance.

Entirely redesigned from head to toe, this new 2021 Nissan Rogue sports a visibly more adventurous design than its 2020 Rogue predecessor, while retaining the manufacturer's distinctive design features, such as the dual V-Motion grille , the “floating” roof and the lights. LED rear that recall those of the Murano or, of the Maxima.

The 2021 Rogue is also based on an all-new architecture made of 35% reinforced steel, unlike 19% for its predecessor. Despite all of this, the 2021 Nissan Rogue is no bigger. Moreover, Nissan speaks of a decrease of 38 millimeters in the total length. The roof is also 5 millimeters lower.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue comes in four trims: S, SV, SL and Platinum. Recently I reviewed the SV trim which includes all the S features, plus ProPILOT Assist, Intelligent Around View Monitor, Remote Engine Start System with Intelligent Climate Control. Now I am reviewing the SL trim, which includes SV features, plus Motion Activated Liftgate, Dual Panel Panoramic moonroof and Tri-Zone automatic Temperature Control.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue SL is an AWD vehicle. Coming with a starting MSRP of $27,440 the SL 2021 Rogue offers 181-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and gets an average 28 MPG fuel economy. The city/highway mileage ratio is respectively 25MPG in a city vs 32 MPG on highways.

Insufficient to make the Rogue a rocket compared to its rivals, it is still quicker to move from its static position than the previous model. Better yet, it consumes gasoline in a little more moderation. Clearly, this engine progresses less in performance than in flexibility of use. In this regard, we salute the finer programming of the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), whose performance is smoother than before.

Again comparing the preceding SV level, the 2021 Nissan Rogue SV includes interior features like the motion-activated liftgate and heated front seats, alongside a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a car-start system that can be activated from outside the vehicle. The new SL trim also includes these options, however, upgrades the leather-wrapped steering wheel to a heated leather-wrapped wheel. The seats and shift knob also come encased in leather, which does make the seats somewhat more comfortable.

Apart from the above-mentioned interior upgrades, the Rogue SL does not offer many more upgrades. The only other notable feature included in the SL that is not present in the SV is the 360-degree panoramic camera, but this is included as an upgradeable option for the SV. The same is true of a panoramic sunroof option, which you can apparently upgrade with the SV level.

Now when it comes to the ride, I felt like the SV was more comfortable and the SL. This can be explained by the larger wheels. Yet, the leader seats make the interior very comfortable. Behind the wheel, the Rogue handles very well. There is a slight sensation of floating, but the SUV has the merit of perfectly absorbing the imperfections of the road. The whole is above average, even if we are still a little far from the driving dynamics offered by the Mazda CX-5, for example.

Nissan, and especially the case with the Rogue, has always known how to make its interiors ultra comfortable mainly thanks to its “zero gravity” seats. The previous generation was also comfortable. But this new one is a tick above at this level, as well as when it comes to soundproofing. The space on board is not left out either and the Rogue is one of the best in the category in this area.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue is a five-seater with roominess in the rear seats, which have a good space, despite the presence of a mound under the feet of the passenger seated in the middle. We will also like (parents of very young children especially) that the doors are detached at an almost right angle (85 degrees) from the body to facilitate access to and exit from the seats. The trunk benefits in part from the configuration of the all-new chassis and the design of the tailgate, offering better accessibility. On the other hand, on an “accounting” level, this translates into a slight loss in utility volume compared to the previous Rogue. Up front, the seats are comfortable.

With the Rogue 2021, Nissan is putting safety first and includes its 360 safety shield from the initial offer. This shield offers us an emergency braking system with pedestrian detection and it can immobilize the vehicle if it detects a danger in front or in reverse.

There is also a blind spot warning system, lane departure detection, rear cross traffic warning and high beam assistance. Safety first and foremost for occupants and those near the vehicle.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue greatly improves with this new redesign. The interior of the Rogue is even more spacious than that of its direct competitors, its consumption is among the lowest in the segment, but its engine is one of the least powerful. In this 2021 version, the CVT gearbox, which has always been the Achilles heel at Nissan, enhances the driving pleasure of the Rogue. Technologically, it is far from being the bottom of the class. Even in the basic version, it benefits from the main security tools, an eight-inch screen and of course Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

Renewed, but not reinvented, the Rogue has a serious chance of making it onto the short list of buyers. This is a utility that shines exceptionally in nothing - especially when it comes to towing capacity - but is consistent in everything.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.

Reference: Auto123, RPM Web.