First Drive: 2014 Nissan Rogue

Last week, Nissan invited us down to Nashville to drive the all-new 2014 Nissan Rogue. As you can see from the photo above, the Rogue has been completely redesigned for 2014, with major changes inside and out that should have the competition shaking in their boots.

On the outside, you’ll notice that the bulbous design of the old Rogue has been replaced by a handsome new look with character lines and styling elements abound. It offers a more premium look than it’s predecessor, which should hopefully draw in new buyers. In addition, the new Rogue has stronger proportions than before, thanks to an increase in height, width, and wheelbase. But the car’s overall length is actually an inch shorter.

Premium exterior features on the 2014 Rogue include signature LED daytime running lights, available LED headlights, muscular wheel arches, integrated mirror turn signals, wraparound taillights, a large panoramic moonroof, an available power liftgate, and large wide-opening (77 degrees) doors.

The premium look continues in the interior, with “Zero Gravity” seats designed to optimize comfort and reduce fatigue, Quick Comfort heated seats that will have you warmed up faster than the competition, soft touch materials, chrome finishers and premium trim, and the latest in in-vehicle connectivity with NissanConnect.

Another huge selling point for the 2014 Rogue is that S and SV models have an available 3rd row seating option that lets you seat 7 people with ease. And even with that 3rd row in place, there’s still 9.7 cu. ft. of space behind it for storage!

If that’s not enough, check out their class exclusive Divide-N-Hide cargo system. With this system, you can organize your cargo in 18 different configurations, enabling you to keep any wet/dirty items separate from clean/dry items. It’s a genius idea, and we wonder why no one ever thought of this before!

So we’re talked about the exterior and interior features, but you’re probably wondering how it drives. It’s fine. Now I’m not knocking the car, but it’s hard to get excited about a CUV powered by a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine that puts out 170HP and 175lb-ft of torque that’s coupled to a CVT transmission. Nevertheless, it gets the job done, while delivering best-in-class fuel economy (FWD: 26/33/28, AWD: 25/32/28).

We drove the Rogue through a variety of conditions throughout the day, and I had no real complaints about the performance of the vehicle. Sure, the engine gets a little noisy at higher RPMs, but most people won’t be redlining it in their normal daily commute.

Confident driving is one of the cornerstones of the new Rogue, and their 4-in-1 Safety Shield makes sure that you’re safe every step of the way. The system includes Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Warning, and Moving Object Detection (a class exclusive).

The Rogue also has a number of systems working behind the scenes to keep you safe. Active Trace Control can automatically engage the inner or outer brakes to optimize your line through turns. Active Engine Braking applies engine torque to slow the vehicle with less effort. Active Ride Control applys the brakes and engine torque to help reduce vehicle vibration and body motion. They’ve even got a hill descent feature, for those people taking their Rogue’s off-road.

Pricing for the 2014 Rogue starts at $22,490 for the base S model with front-wheel drive, and can climb as high as $29,420 for the SL AWD model. Add the optional Premium Package to the SL and you’ll top out at $32,270, including $860 for destination.

If that’s too rich for your blood, consider the Rogue Select, a continuation of the previous-generation Rogue for 2014, with simplified content and a starting price below $20,000. But trust me, once you drive the new model, you’re not going to want to take a step backwards.

The 2014 Nissan Rogue goes on sale November 13th.