The 2021 Nissan Rogue Needs That Turbo Now
The 2021 Nissan Rogue is trying to become more fuel-efficient, but it isn’t there yet. The addition of a new turbo-three engine may help improve its efficiency. However, until then, the Nissan Rogue remains behind rivals.
The 2021 Nissan Rogue is thirsty
According to The Car Connection, the 2021 Nissan Rogue can’t keep up with rivals in terms of fuel economy. It was redesigned for 2021 with a 2.5-liter inline-four engine that provides 181 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. This is an adequate amount of power for the compact SUV.
However, the Nissan Rogue only gets an EPA estimated 27 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. Adding all-wheel drive can lower these figures by about one mpg. But that doesn’t sound like the Rogue is a true gas guzzler, right?
Well, the 2021 Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Ford Escape all have hybrid options that get about 40 mpg combined. But what if you don’t spring for the more expensive hybrid versions? The gas-powered Ford Escape gets an EPA estimated 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.
But during the Car and Driver test, it only got 26 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. The Nissan Rogue might be judged too harshly for not having a hybrid variant, but its fuel economy is average among gas-powered competitors.
Will the 1.5-liter turbo-3 help the Nissan Rogue?
The 2021 Nissan Rogue will be getting a new 1.5-liter turbo-3 engine. According to the EPA, the smaller engine should improve the fuel economy by about three mpg. This could help the Rogue achieve 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway. But this still puts the Nissan Rogue behind competitors with hybrid powertrains.
So the new engine will help a little, and we wish we knew more about it. There hasn’t been an official announcement about it yet, and no other specs aside from the fuel economy ratings have been released.
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We hope the turbo engine helps the Rogue tackle larger problems. For example, according to Edmunds, the base engine is weak. When they tested an all-wheel-drive model, it accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds.
Edmunds said that the Nissan Rogue feels lazy and lacks appreciable power. Also, passing people on the highway with the Rogue may require some planning in advance. But a model without AWD may be lighter and a little faster.
Nissan Rogue Problems
The 2021 Nissan Rogue is a great SUV option. It’s incredibly versatile and comfortable. It just has a few drawbacks to consider. For example, the seats are soft and supportive, and the Rogue has a pretty smooth ride. But wind and road noise easily enter the cabin, and the engine has a loud drone while accelerating.
In the front, you’ll find plenty of room for adults, but the backseat is tight. It has less legroom than competitors. The backseat is great for children, though, and the Rogue has tons of cargo space.
The Rogue comes with a standard 8-inch infotainment system, but you can upgrade to a 9-inch unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. An optional 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 10.8-inch head-up display are also available with higher trims that quickly climb in price.
It has a fair amount of safety features. The Nissan Rogue has standard automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert. Available features include adaptive cruise control with a semi-autonomous driving mode.
