Our 2015 Rogue SV front-wheel drive tester showed up with the same all-new styling which made its debut on the 2014 model. Sharp and angular design defines the Rogue with a more masculine shape than before and than many of its competitors.
Up front is the brand’s V-Motion grille treatment framed with halogen headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights. You can step up to the SL to get fog lights and optional still are LED self-leveling headlamps.
The SV features 17-inch alloy wheels with relatively tall 225/65R17 tires. Features like roof rails are standard here which raise the overall profile of the Rogue. At the rear, a power lift gate and rear-view camera come by way of the SV Premium Package.
Inside, that Premium Package brings a number of key features like its 7-inch color display infotainment system with navigation and the popular around-view monitor that can display a 360 degree birds-eye-view around the vehicle.
Also included are handy driving aids like lane departure warning and blind spot monitor, with moving object detection. All of these features performed quite well, and can be turned off if you don’t want them on.
The cloth on our seats was pleasing to the eye and felt sturdy. Front seats are heated with the driver getting power adjustments. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes, as well as offers up a plethora of controls for infotainment and instrument cluster displays.
Dash design is pleasing to the eye, especially with the two-tone treatment here. Material quality is top of class in my opinion both in trims as well as the switch gear that has a tactile feel and smart layout overall.
The center stack is simple to use with controls laid out within easy reach. A smart phone pad is down low up front with auxiliary and USB inputs right on cue. You can also of course connect up to the infotainment system with Bluetooth and use voice activated operations.
Rear seat passengers here will enjoy plenty of room both in space as well as a comfortable position. The seat back rake can be adjusted as can the lower seat cushion position. There are HVAC vents for rear passengers too, something not all competitors have.
Those seats of course fold near flat in a 60/40 split quite easily, offering up a nicely sized cargo space. Ours didn’t have the third row seat option, thus it came with the Divide and Hide cargo system which has extra space below the floor.
You can configure it in a variety of ways to suit your needs whether it be a lower floor area or a hidden storage compartment. And below that resides a spare tire, something you will lose if you option the third-row seat.
Powering the 2015 Nissan Rogue is a 170 horsepower four-cylinder engine which comes exclusively with a constantly variable transmission with both an Eco and Sport mode. No manual transmission is offered here.
The EPA rates the Nissan Rogue as tested at 26 mpg city, 33 mpg highway and 28 mpg combined which is precisely what we achieved in our week with it, even with the AC on at all times.
It’s offered with both front-wheel drive as our tester is as well as in all-wheel drive capability. The chassis features MacPherson struts at front and a multi-link suspension at the rear with four-wheel disc brakes all around.
The stability control I mentioned essentially acts when it detects the vehicle beginning to slide and applies the brakes automatically to certain wheels to arrest it. Every manufacturer has a different way of tuning these systems, and road conditions always have a role in how well they work.
The Nissan Rogue has a ground-clearance of 7.4-inches in our front-wheel drive model and a bit more at 7.6-inches for the all-wheel drive version. In both cases, the Rogue is not meant to be a full-on off-roader but offers more ability than a common sedan.
When it comes to safety the 2015 Nissan Rogue achieves a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS as it achieves good ratings in their full battery of crash tests. Top Safety Pick + status requires the availability of a more advanced suite of crash avoidance features, which Nissan will offer in the 2016 Rogue.
