05:32AM - 01.11.'13
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News Source: autoblog.com
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When I first started in this whole automotive journalism biz, I held a sort of hodgepodge receptionist/gopher/production assistant role, and each morning as the staff filed in, I'd ask them how they liked whatever car they were assigned to drive the previous night. Most of my colleagues would regale me with anecdotes about how good or bad a vehicle was, but one co-worker, every single morning, would answer my query with the exact same phrase: "It was fine." I always assumed this was just a brush-off, an "ask me again after I've had a cup of coffee" sort of response. But then I found myself in a similar moment of brevity following the launch of the 2014 Nissan Rogue earlier this week. After returning home, a friend asked me what I thought of the new Rogue, and I replied, word for word, "It was fine." And, well, it was. Nothing worth wasting exclamation points over, good or bad. Aside from something like the interesting-to-drive Mazda CX-5 or funky-looking Jeep Cherokee, nothing in this class really tries to set the world on fire. And that, right there, is fine. Nissan doesn't need to do anything crazy with its second-generation Rogue. It just needs to offer a well-equipped crossover that's handsome, functional, efficient and priced right – sticking to the same formula that made the first-generation model so successful while offering the latest crop of creature comforts in a more modern package. The 2014 Nissan Rogue checks all of these boxes. And it's fine. Mighty fine. While most small crossovers simply ride on lifted versions of existing small car building blocks, Nissan has employed an entirely new platform here in the Rogue. And it's a global platform, too – the company's Common Module Family (CMF) architecture is shared with French automaker Renault and will eventually be used to underpin a host of vehicles around the world. The Rogue itself is now a global vehicle, serving as the Americanized twin of the Nissan X-Trail that will be sold in other markets. Whereas the previous Rogue was sort of a round, dumpy little thing, the new model is handsome, with character lines and styling elements to tie it in with the brand's latest crop of product. It looks, quite simply, like a de-conceptualized version of the 2012 Hi-Cross show car. At 182.3 inches long, the new Rogue is a full inch shorter in overall length than the 2013 model, though the wheelbase is over half an inch longer. This new version is also wider (72.4 inches, up from 70.9) and taller (67.5 versus 66.3) than its predecessor. All Rogue models come standard with LED running lamps up front and full LED headlamps are available on higher-grade models. Entry-level trims come standard with relatively attractive 17-inch wheels, and the high-end SL trim, seen here, uses 18-inch rollers nuzzled inside P225/65R18 Dunlop Grandtrek all-season tires. Some folks on staff aren't in love with the new Rogue's design, saying it isn't as cohesive as the last-generation model. I disagree – the front and profile look great, though there's some awkwardness to the rear end. The Lexus-like taillamps just don't look quite right, though the light signature works well to mimic the LED accents up front, and it'd be nice if Nissan could integrate the liftgate release into the panel above the license plate, like most crossovers. Still, the 2014 Rogue is a major improvement over its predecessor in terms of exterior styling. I'm on board. The only engine available for the 2014 Rogue is Nissan's 2.5-liter QR25DE inline four-cylinder engine, good for 170 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 175 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. That power is sent through – what else? – Nissan's Xtronic continuously variable transmission, which, as we've said before, is perhaps the best CVT on the market. It's happy to hold revs higher in the range when power is needed, but drivers will be punished for their speedy tendencies with a horrible engine sound. That's what you get for not driving efficiently. Speaking of which, since the powertrain is essentially the same as last year's Rogue, that CVT can be credited with helping the 2014 model post some welcome fuel economy gains. According to the EPA, front-wheel-drive models will now net 26 miles per gallon city and a best-in-class 33 mpg highway, up from 23/28 mpg. Our all-wheel-drive SL tester knocks those new numbers down to a plenty-respectable 25/32. |
