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Nissan is launching an all-new small SUV called the Rogue that's expected to go on sale in Fall 2007.
Unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the 2008 Nissan Rogue is a new concept for Nissan, and different from its familiar Xterra sport-utility. The Xterra is a ladder-frame, truck-based SUV, with some fairly serious off-road potential.
The Rogue will be a so-called crossover, like Nissan's larger Murano. The Rogue will compete with the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
The Rogue has more in common with the typical sedan than it does with a truck. It has a unitized body and chassis with fully independent suspension, and it will be offered with front-wheel drive or single-range full-time all-wheel drive. In an impressionistic way, the Rogue looks something like the Murano. But the Rogue is built on what Nissan calls its C platform, the foundation for the compact Sentra sedan.
With a 106-inch wheelbase and a length of 182.9 inches, the Rogue will be slightly larger than nearly all of its direct competitors, including the CR-V, RAV4 and Ford Escape. Base models will come with 16-inch steel wheels and 215/70R16 tires; 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 225/60R17 tires will be optional.
The Rogue will offer only one engine: Nissan's 2.5-liter inline-4, generating 170 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. It's one of the most powerful standard engines in the class, though many competitors, including RAV4 and Escape, offer optional V6s. Rogue will also feature a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), where most small SUVs use a conventional automatic. The CVT could put Rogue at the high end of the EPA mileage spectrum, and Nissan excels at this type of automatic transmission, as seen in the smooth and responsive Murano, to name just one.
Inside, Rogue seats five, with no optional third-row seat, as offered in the RAV4. Nissan claims that Rogue's larger exterior dimensions translate into one of the roomiest interiors in the class. In conjunction with the 60/40 split folding rear seat, a fold-flat front passenger seat will allow the Rogue to accommodate articles 8.5 feet in length (lumber or ladders, for example) inside. An optional cargo organizer pops from the flat load floor with the touch of a button, presenting vertical cargo nets that can cradle grocery bags or sports gear.
Buyers will be able to outfit Rogue with luxury-grade amenities, including heated leather seats, xenon headlights, universal on-board garage door opener, and a Bluetooth wireless cellular phone interface with controls on the steering wheel hub. The optional Bose audio system features seven speakers and a powered subwoofer.
Safety features match the best in class: front airbags, seat mounted side-impact airbags for front passengers, and full cabin curtain-style head protection airbags with rollover detection. All Rogues will be equipped with Nissan's Vehicle Dynamic Control stability system and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist.
The 2008 Rogue will be available in two models, Rogue S and Rogue SL, when it reaches Nissan dealerships in late summer or early fall 2007.
1-800-335-3592
www.nissanusa.com
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