Nissan’s Funky Answer To The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
- The 2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid E-Power hits U.S. dealerships this year.
- On Monday, Nissan revealed what the crossover will look like.
- The new Rogue features a series hybrid powertrain that’s different from Toyota’s parallel hybrids.
Today, Nissan doesn’t sell a single conventional hybrid model in the U.S. That’s a problem; as electric car sales shift down a gear, America is only getting thirstier for hybrids.
Nissan has an answer for that dilemma, and for any of its buyers who have been waiting for a hybrid option: the 2027 Rogue Hybrid E-Power. We already knew this model was on the way. But on Monday, Nissan revealed the crossover in full for the first time.
The front end reminds me a bit of the new Leaf, with its daytime running lights that end in a sharp point on either side. The design is full of crisp edges and angles. Overall, the new Rogue looks like a nice, modern upgrade over the outgoing model from a design perspective.
What’s under the hood is more important, however. Nissan has had a plug-in hybrid Rogue on sale as a stopgap until the Rogue Hybrid arrives. But that is a rebadged Mitsubishi. The new Rogue marks the U.S. debut of Nissan’s E-Power powertrain, which is a different concept from the hybrid systems we’re used to in Toyotas and the like.
The Rogue will have a what is known as a series-hybrid system, whereas rivals like the Toyota Prius and RAV4 use parallel setups. The Rogue’s gas engine will only function to feed a small battery pack with energy. That battery, in turn, will power an electric motor at each axle. So this is kind of like an electric platform, but powered by gas. Or, another way to think about it: It’s kind of like an extended-range EV—the type of vehicle Scout Motors and Ram are bringing to market—but without the plug.
A more conventional parallel-hybrid system also uses a gas engine and an electric motor, the difference being that either can drive the wheels and make the vehicle move.
Nissan says this results in a hybrid with the smooth, effortless power of an EV. Fuel economy, Nissan told InsideEVs, will be north of 40 mpg. For more on the E-Power system, check out Suvrat Kothari’s recent deep dive with Nissan’s product planning chief for the Americas. And to learn a bit about how these vehicles feel on the road, check out Mack Hogan’s take on a Japan-market E-Power model he drove last year.
Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com
