I'm digging the Nissan Rogue...

[bdcwriter]

The new Consumer Reports has a short profile of the Nissan Rogue and it looks pretty cool! I kind of looked at the Versa as a mini-Murano, but I'd say the Rogue is much closer in description. When the time comes to purchase a second car the Rogue will definitely be in the mix.

[Bubs daddy]

[Jaesin]

I'd be curious to see how big it is compared to the versa... It's awesome they're making CVT standard now though, kinda regret not springing for it on my V.

[Elmojo]

I'd be curious to see how big it is compared to the versa...

Yah, me too!That thing looks a LOT like the bastard love child of a Murano and a Versa, not that that's a bad thing.

Anyone heard possible pricing?

Elmojo

[Ever Victorious]

Think Xterra-esque, as this model is supposedly replacing the Xterra (and the Xtrail in Canada)

I'm not entirely sure, but this may just be a US market version of the Qashqai that is available in other countries.

[Jaesin]

Would they put an engine that small on something the size of the xterra? Seriously, it doesn't even crack 3 liters, mid 2 I think.

If it is that big, it'd be horribly anemic.

[Ever Victorious]

The Xterra is the smallest SUV in the Nissan lineup (excluding the canadian Xtrail). And small SUV's aren't hard to find with small 4-cylinder engines. You can get them as small as 2 liters, so a mid-2 liter isn't bad. Heck, most of your 6-cylinder small SUV's don't crack 3 liters, and they're plenty powerful.

[Jemdawg]

That's exactly what it is, EV.

It does seem a bit underpowered, but I'm not too sure of the measurements.

[Jaesin]

Found this off of Jalopnik.

2008 Nissan Rogue

The 2008 Nissan Rogue is built on Nissan's "C" platform and mates Nissan's QR25DE 2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve inline 4-cylinder (rated at 170 horsepower and 175 lb-ft torque) to a standard Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) with available paddle shifters for sporty, efficient performance. An all-new all-wheel drive system with yaw rate control is also available.

Every Rogue comes standard with Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Traction Control System (TCS), a responsive Electric Power-assisted Steering (EPS) system and 4-wheel disc brakes that feature an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA).

Inside, Rogue offers a balance of sleek surface continuity and ultra-functionality, offering available leather-appointed seating, front heated seats and mirrors and steering wheel-mounted Bluetooth Hands-Free Phone System and audio controls. Standard convenience features include a fold-flat front passenger seat, 60/40 split fold-down rear bench and oversized glove box with partition, while available features like a dual-level center console storage with hidden functionality features, a hidden one-touch pop-up cargo organizer and removable easy-clean cargo tray add to the diverse utility of the new Rogue.

Among the advanced technology available on Rogue are an Intelligent Key, a powerful Bose -developed audio system with 7 speakers and subwoofer with MP3 capability and satellite radio, a Bluetooth Hands-Free Phone System, HomeLink Universal Transceiver garage door opener and Xenon headlights.

Standard safety features for the new Rogue include Zone Body Construction, Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual stage front air bags and occupant classification system for the front passenger seat, and front seat Active Head Restraints.

Front seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bags and roof-mounted curtain supplemental air bags (for front and rear outboard occupant head protection) with rollover detection are also standard.

The 2008 Rogue is expected to be priced starting around $20,000 when it goes on sale in fall 2007.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Just some factoids to cut through the speculation (if you feel like reading it all):

I wouldn't think Xterra when it comes to the Rogue. The Rogue has nothing in common with the Xterra, aside from them both being classified as SUVs. The Xterra is not going away, and is a completely different vehicle than the Rogue. The Rogue isn't replacing anything, anyway, it's simply a new car (at least in the US).

True, the Xterra was formerly Nissan's smallest SUV in the US, but not because it was supposed to be a "small SUV". It came about because the Pathfinder moved to a monocoque frame in 1996, which left Nissan without a real truck-based SUV. The Xterra was brought in in 2000, based on the Frontier just as the first-generation Pathfinder had been based on the Hardbody. Nissan had a real truck-based SUV again.

When the Frontier was redesigned to use a scaled-down version of the Titans "F-Alpha" boxed ladder frame platform, the Pathfinder thankfully went back to being a true truck. But the Xterra had already become an extremely popular model with a wide variety of people, from off-roaders to consumers who simply want a basic, inexpensive, but capable SUV (the first-gen Xterra could be had as a "stripper" model with the KA24DE, making it very affordable--remember the ads "Everything you need, nothing you don't"). So Nissan kept the Xterra around. However, it has grown a LOT. The new F-Alpha-based Xterra is larger than any SUV Nissan sold in the US prior to 2005. It is definitely not the smallest SUV in their lineup anymore. That "distinction" goes to the Murano, which stepped up to fill the void (car-based unibody SUV) that was left when the Pathfinder moved back to a truck platform .The Xterra does not offer a 4 cylinder engine anymore, only the torque-tastic 4.0 liter V6 from the Pathfinder and Frontier, which nearly as much torque as Dodge's 4.7 V8 (from the new Dakota). It is a midsize truck, with stats and capacities on par with full-size 1/2 ton trucks from the mid-late 1990s (the VQ makes a LOT of torque for it's size--just shy of 300 ft-lb).

I don't know a lot about the Xtrail, but I always had the impression it was a "soft-roader" (a light-duty mini SUV with "the comfort of AWD" for people in harsh-weather climates).The Rogue will be even more of a soft-roader. It's a mini Murano, with a unibody frame, a transverse-mounted engine and FWD. It is, quite literally, a tall wagon, just like most car-based "SUVs" are these days. It has more in common with the Versa and Murano than anything else in Nissan's current (or past) lineup.

It would be INCREDIBLY foolish for Nissan to replace a midsize heavy-duty offroad SUV with a good towing capacity (thanks to it's VQ40 and truck frame) with a compact car-based, 4-cylinder-powered (no towing capacity at all) SUV.