New Qashqai Report

[dolbydj]

New update on 2014 Qashqai / Rogue:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/nissan/qas ... an-qashqai

[Rogue One]

New update on 2014 Qashqai / Rogue:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/nissan/qas ... an-qashqai

And will we ever see a diesel Rogue stateside?
Like the headlights!

[ImStricken06]

i dont see this happening as there is way to much murano in this car. from the rims, to the lights, etc. the murano is over priced as it is, so this will put the final nail int the murano coffin (unless they are that stupid)

i wont be surprised if its gonna have this front end:

[kerrton]

Hard to say, I agree the Murano is overpriced and overlaps with the much more reasonably priced Rogue, but that has been the case for 5 years and still the Murano is a big seller - I have never been able to figure it out! At least if the Murano had a 3rd row option then it would offer something above the Rogue, but now that the Pathfinder is redesigned I again don't understand who would purchase a Murano. The larger Pathfinder gets better gas mileage and is more practical and functional than the Murano, and the smaller Rogue gets much better gas mileage and is very close to the Murano in size, at a vastly lower price tag.

I guess its the "luxury" feel that attracts people. And all manufacturers do the same the thing, create several overlapping products, look at Toyota: what's the difference between a Venza, Highlander, and RAV4? Similar to the Rogue, Murano and Pathfinder....personal preference I guess. Ford had the Flex and Explorer which are even closer, almost identical in every way except external styling, and of course the horrible looking new Escape (damn that thing is ugly, I just can't get over it!!)

Actually, speaking of the Flex, it just may be my next future vehicle. That thing is one of those rare vehicles where they just got everything right, and the price on a near-new unit is ridiculously low. No stupid crossover styling with swoopy lines, no BS, just a real functional wagon with unique styling and a real sense of class - the 2013 refreshed front grill is absolutely sick, I haven't seen anything come close. But everyone has different needs and preferences.

[Rogue One]

Hard to say, I agree the Murano is overpriced and overlaps with the much more reasonably priced Rogue, but that has been the case for 5 years and still the Murano is a big seller - I have never been able to figure it out! At least if the Murano had a 3rd row option then it would offer something above the Rogue, but now that the Pathfinder is redesigned I again don't understand who would purchase a Murano. The larger Pathfinder gets better gas mileage and is more practical and functional than the Murano, and the smaller Rogue gets much better gas mileage and is very close to the Murano in size, at a vastly lower price tag.

I guess its the "luxury" feel that attracts people. And all manufacturers do the same the thing, create several overlapping products, look at Toyota: what's the difference between a Venza, Highlander, and RAV4? Similar to the Rogue, Murano and Pathfinder....personal preference I guess. Ford had the Flex and Explorer which are even closer, almost identical in every way except external styling, and of course the horrible looking new Escape (damn that thing is ugly, I just can't get over it!!)

Actually, speaking of the Flex, it just may be my next future vehicle. That thing is one of those rare vehicles where they just got everything right, and the price on a near-new unit is ridiculously low. No stupid crossover styling with swoopy lines, no BS, just a real functional wagon with unique styling and a real sense of class - the 2013 refreshed front grill is absolutely sick, I haven't seen anything come close. But everyone has different needs and preferences.

All I can say is, wow. Sorry, but the Flex is about the most gawd-awful FUGLIEST thing on four wheels. BTW, are you aware of the failure rate of the Flex's transfer case?

I stopped counting how many posts I see about transmission issues, particularly with AWD and the transfer case.

[kerrton]

To each his own my friend......I don't buy AWD vehicles so its a non-issue for me..... but yes I've read of some earlier Flex models having issues with AWD components including leaking PTU, misaligned shafts leading to bearing failures etc., but it looks like those issues were addressed quite early on.

The Flex has the very same mechanical components as the Explorer, each has received very good reliability rankings and with the 2013 refresh this thing must be getting close to perfection. Electronic gadgetry is another story, and probably the only thing that would concern me from a reliablity standpoint.

Remember Ford sells a lot more vehicles than Nissan does, so any internet search is going to turn up more horror stories and angry owners, but the facts are that Ford overall as a brand is very close to other "mid-pack" benchmarks like Nissan, Mazda, GM, and Hyundai. Top of the pack is still Toyota and Honda in my opinion...these are high-level roll-up numbers of course, general trends, and the margins are very narrow unlike 15+ years ago. However as a consumer I can't justify spending ridiculous high amounts on used Toyota's that don't depreciate when I can save 50% or more on a comparable Ford, and to a lesser extent Nissan.

I'm interested in the next-gen Rogue, I'm expecting that on paper it won't look shockingly different but that's probably a good thing because big changes usually mean lots of reliablity issues. Minor changes usually draw criticism, but in reality making only minor changes is the best strategy for reliability, just as Honda did with the redesigned CRV, and Toyota with the brand new RAV4. These two are in my opinion the best value for a new purchase vehicle with good practicality (lots of space but not too big, very good efficiency), excellent resale value, great styling, low purchase price, excellent safety, and lots of options. For the Rogue to compete with these two is going to be tough because they're pretty much as close to perfect as you can get, in my opinion. Nissan knows this, which is why I expect big things from the next gen Rogue in terms of solid, durable design with lots of value.

[Rogue One]

Remember Ford sells a lot more vehicles than Nissan does...

Only because their car loan standards are lower.

The Flex has the very same mechanical components as the Explorer, each has received very good reliability rankings...

Yep, to each their own. If it's what you really want, go for it. But please keep this in mind. Four of the top ten worst vehicles on CarComplaints http://www.carcomplaints.com/worst_vehicles/ are the Ford Explorer. And while in the 90's the Explorer had an issue with being tipsy, the most disturbing recall for the current incarnation is its potential to burst into flames 2013 Explorer Among Ford Vehicles Recalled for Fire Risk http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2013-ex ... -risk.html

Sorry, it's just in my nature to disparage Ford's.

[kerrton]

...but don't get me wrong, my message was NOT "Ford is better than Nissan", or vice versa. I was just comparing model lineups, looking at the Rogue relative to other competitors. If you are trying to evaluate a vehicle, or guess about what a future model might look like, you have to look at the competition and be realistic.

My Rogue is serving me well, it has never cost me a nickel in repairs yet, and never left me stranded or frustrated. But in another 2 years it will be starting to show its age and I'll be looking for a little bigger vehicle, the Rogue is great but as my family grows and changes its just a little on the small the side, although only by a small margin. So I'll be looking at 3-row crossovers, I do like the Honda Pilot and its upcoming all-new model is something to keep an eye on, but realistically those are out of my price range and used models just don't depreciate, which is really why I mentioned Ford - they are accessible at a good price in the near-new market. The 2014 Dodge Durango looks really good too, in particular with a ZF designed 8-speed transmission and a really amazing Infotainment system with Smartphone integration. GM/Chevy's MyLink system also looks really great on the Traverse, MyFordTouch is interesting but still buggy, whereas the Pathfinder does not even offer a system like this!!

The tech features are so important, which is partially why the Pathfinder is not on my list right now, not to mention a brand new CVT transmission that is untested. In a couple years my perspective might be very different...maybe the next gen Rogue will be so good that it will hook me back for another go!!

[kerrton]

Remember Ford sells a lot more vehicles than Nissan does...

Only because their car loan standards are lower.

The Flex has the very same mechanical components as the Explorer, each has received very good reliability rankings...

Yep, to each their own. If it's what you really want, go for it. But please keep this in mind. Four of the top ten worst vehicles on CarComplaints http://www.carcomplaints.com/worst_vehicles/ are the Ford Explorer. And while in the 90's the Explorer had an issue with being tipsy, the most disturbing recall for the current incarnation is its potential to burst into flames 2013 Explorer Among Ford Vehicles Recalled for Fire Risk http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2013-ex ... -risk.html

Sorry, it's just in my nature to disparage Ford's.

I'm glad you shared that link, its shows that 2003 Ford Explorers had lots of complaints, as did the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder which is also on your list, along with several model years of Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Honda Civic. The point is, vehicle quality has really improved in the last decade. ALL of the top ten most car complaints are from the early 2000's.

And the fact that Ford, Honda, Dodge, Nissan and Toyota are all on your list doesn't really paint a very clear picture, what's the point? All manufacturers have issues, even Honda and Toyota, so what's the take-away message? If anything, your list makes Ford look a lot better, on par with Toyota.

[followingnfront]

Ive read a few places that the next gen rogue will be based on the Altima's modular platform... If that is the case, it will be a little bigger and more importantly it will be much smoother on rough roads most likely... as long as the steering doesnt lose any more feeling and the handling doesnt get sloppy, and the all around camera system is still an option (i dont want a car without it now) it may be something to look at... However, the current murano is based on the altima so something would have to give there

[dolbydj]

The new Qashqai looks good to me! I think it's just a modified picture from the Hi-Cross concept. Coincidently, I just test drove the new RAV4. The car feels pretty good, suspension and pick up is not bad. But, the speedo kinda looks like a 1986 MR2, I felt like I was sitting very left of center, and am not a fan of gated shifters. The new Rogue should be arrive right on time.

[kerrton]

Lets have some predictions on powertrain:

Is Nissan going to swing for the fences and introduce a small turbo engine option, likely a 1.6L? Or will they play it safe and stick with just the QR2.5 engine, perhaps with some minor tweaks? Will Nissan introduce Direct Injection in to their engine lineup, as Hyundai/Kia and Ford have done? Hybrid option?

My guess is initially it will be just the 2.5L engine carrying on as the sole option, just like the RAV4, in order to ensure reliability and keep the risks low. This engine is already quite efficient, and Nissan's next-gen CVT does all the work increasing efficiency so they don't really need to take a risk on high tech engines - just look at the Pathfinder, it uses the same old VQ3.5 engine that's been around for years and it's best in class efficiency, with a basic, solid reliable engine. Competitors like Ford and Hyundai need advanced engines with direct injection and turbos to meet their efficiency targets because they don't have the magic CVT transmission - Nissan can keep engine technology simple, and avoid lots of complex redesigns and untested new technolgoy because the CVT allows them to meet effiency targets, not to mention saving a ton of money on engine engineering, research and development.

I think around the 3rd year in to the cyle they will introduce a hybrid-electric version. A hybrid Pathfinder is being released in a few months for model year 2014, with a modest $3000 price premium, which interests me and could be a sign of things to come for the Rogue and Murano, but not a guarantee, people are not always excited about buying complex new systems, and its demand will rest heavily on what happens with oil prices over the next decade. I think there is a good chance of them also releasing a small turbo option later during a refresh.

[ImStricken06]

Lets have some predictions on powertrain:

jukes turbo engine is my guess.

[dolbydj]

I think an updated 2.5 with the newer CVT would be fine. It would be great if they could make this engine a 2.7. Maybe Direct Injection?
I don't really like turbos. All the Fuelly numbers show that they are not "Eco" friendly. I've had problems before with an Eclipse Turbo that blew. It was quick for it's day with lots of torque steer and drank gas when it was on. Also spent weeks in and out of the shop.

[takeshi]

The new Qashqai looks good to me!

Keep in mind that these are Auto Express's renderings (emphasis added):

Our exclusive images show how the new model could look

[followingnfront]

I think just like the 1st gen Rogue, they will give the next gen Rogue the current gen Altima's engine/transmission... That means a slight bump in HP out of the 2.5, and the newer CVT... I am not exactly happy about that because the Altima guys are having a lot of issues with the new gen CVTs.... Maybe they can work the kinks out soon .

However, if they can get 22/26 out of the new Pathfinder with the 3.5, I think they should make the 3.5 an option in the Rogue as well (also an Altima engine)... They can probably get 23-24 city and 28-30 highway out of the Rogue with the 3.5 and AWD.

I'd rock a V6 Rogue