Going Rogue In Hybrid Mode: The 2017 Nissan Rogue SV Hybrid AWD

The 2017 Nissan Rogue Hybrid.

Small crossovers are still the white-hot part of the market.  And for model year 2016, Toyota had the field all to itself when it came to gasoline/electric hybrids, with the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.  Longtime archrival Nissan chose 2017 to freshen its Rogue, and we liked the gasoline version we drove at the beginning of this year very much.

As we noted at the end of that review, it's the value equation that makes the Rogue a contender, and this year, Nissan has brought a Rogue Hybrid to market that keeps the value strong.

2017 Nissan Rogue Hybrid.

The trap too many automakers fall into is to inflate the base price of the hybrid---pricing it out of range of the bulk of logical customers, and increasing the amount of time the vehicle will take to pay for the additional cost in fuel savings.

Nissan has avoided this trap.  Our test vehicle was the base-level SV (the photos accompanying this review are of the uplevel SV---Ed.), with a base price, in all-wheel-drive form, of $27,590.  That is only $1,000 more than a gasoline-powered Rogue SV AWD.  For that $1,000, fuel economy improves from 25 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway to 31 in the city and 34 on the highway.  A small bonus---the combination of the gasoline and electric powerplant results in five horsepower more than the gasoline model.

2017 Nissan Rogue Hybrid interior (SL model shown).

The base price includes, as standard equipment:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Four-wheel disc brakes
• Hill start assist
• Vehicle dynamic control
• Traction control
• Electronic brake force distribution
• Brake assist
• Security system with immobilizer
• Tire pressure monitoring
• Blind spot warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Six-way power driver seat with power lumbar support
• 60/40 split-folding second-row seat
• Heated front cloth seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
• Six-speaker audio system
• Five-inch color audio display
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio
• USB
• Bluetooth
• Hands-free text messaging assistant
• Three 12-volt power outlets
• Rear view camera and monitor
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Second row A/C vents
• Illuminated visor vanity mirrors
• Under-floor cargo storage
• Power door locks
• Intelligent key with pushbutton start and remote engine start
• LED daytime running lights
• Halogen headlamps 
• Heated outside mirrors with LED turn signals
• Privacy glass
• Roof rails
• Chrome outside door handles.

Again, that is all standard equipment for the $27,590 base price.  And that is very impressive.

Our test vehicle had the optional SV HEV Premium Package, which adds navigation, upgrades the five-inch audio system screen to a seven-inch touchscreen, includes SiriusXM Traffic, SiriusXM Travel Link and Siri Eyes Free, upgrades the audio system itself to a nine-speaker Bose unit, and adds an around-view monitor, moving object detection, upgrades the leather-wrapped steering wheel to one that is heated and tops it off with a motion-activated liftgate and a power panoramic moonroof. The cost is $2,870.  With $225 for floor mats and cargo area protector and $940 destination charges, the as-tested price came to $31,625.  

For the level of equipment involved and the hybrid powertrain, that is tremendous value, and should put Nissan in a strong position against the RAV4 Hybrid and the inevitable competitors who will jump into this segment in the next few years.