2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid Prototype Drive: More EV Than Anything Else

• What's new: At our official first look of the Nissan Rogue Hybrid, a prototype model was also there that we got to drive.
• Why it matters: Nissan's E-Power system has been around overseas for a few generations, but it's making its way to the U.S. for the first time.
• Edmunds says: The Rogue Hybrid drives differently than any other hybrid compact SUV — in a good way.

We first got to drive a version of the Rogue Hybrid in Japan a few months ago and came away cautiously impressed. My drive in Utah only served to fuel that optimism. 

How does it drive?

This isn't the first go-round for Nissan with E-Power; it is the third generation, and it's been sold overseas for some time. That's important to note because the first crack at these kinds of innovations is often rough. But that isn't the case here.

Simply put, the Rogue Hybrid delivers a more EV-like experience than any of its competitors, with quietness and smoothness of operation being highlights. Total system output from the standard dual electric motors (and all-wheel drive) is capped at 225 horsepower, even though the front motor makes 202 hp and the rear motor 134 hp on their own. The front motor is prioritized, with the rear kicking on when needed, and that helps the system operate more efficiently. There isn't quite the same initial punch you get from many EVs, but speed builds linearly, and the Rogue Hybrid didn't feel sluggish, even at altitude.

On our short drive through the mountains, we didn't get a chance to see how the Nissan gets up to highway speeds or how it feels at cruising speed. But at nearly a mile of elevation, it still felt like it had good pep and got up hills quickly and with ease. The steering is light, and there's a good amount of body roll, with the emphasis on comfort. That approach better matches the character of the powertrain and aligns with what customers are looking for in a family SUV.

There's one other feature that helps the Rogue Hybrid feel very quiet: It actually tries to time the gas engine coming on with other ambient noise or vibrations. So, as the driver or a passenger, you notice it clicking on even less than you'd think. We've all sat in the back of a Prius and heard that engine kick on loudly and drone on the highway; that won't be the case in this SUV.

Stopping matters a lot more in the new Rogue than before

As smooth as the acceleration was, the braking was equally impressive. Just like in most EVs, the Rogue Hybrid will offer a one pedal braking mode — again, making it the only hybrid among the compact SUVs to offer a feature like this (even if you include the plug-ins). The braking is well calibrated, even if adjusting the regeneration amount is a cumbersome process that involves the screen. 

If you prefer not to use one-pedal driving, then another new feature kicks in called Smooth Stop. It detects when the Nissan is coming to a stop and automatically modulates the brake pressure, even if the driver doesn't, to eliminate jerkiness. While testing it, one of Nissan's engineers who joined me for the drive instructed me to "brake like a 15-year-old" and just keep the pedal pushed down, which would usually result in all of the SUV's occupants lurching forward at the end.

I decided to test this out at random, to see if the others in the car could tell when I was using it or not. Over a few stops, all of them smooth, nobody had any idea when I was braking like myself or like a teenager. It's uncanny how well it works. The sort of "settle back" you expect from the momentum shifting forward to stagnant is just ...  gone.

Waiting for numbers

Our first and second cracks at the new Rogue Hybrid left us wanting more, and we'll have to reserve final judgment until we can get one at the Edmunds test track to get all of our instrumented testing numbers. I don't predict it will be all that quick, but how smoothly it operated and how well calibrated everything felt will work in its favor.

One more number we're waiting for is fuel economy. Nissan's internal estimates put it at 38 mpg combined (40 city/36 highway), but we are still waiting on the final EPA estimates to verify those. If those numbers hold true, it's a bit behind the RAV4 (which offers 42 mpg or 41 mpg combined with AWD for most trims) but beats most models of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid by a couple of mpg.

We'll have all of those details for you as soon as we get them, so stay tuned. But ultimately, our drive of the Rogue Hybrid and seeing its accompanying cabin and technology improvements have us more excited for a Nissan SUV than we have been in a long time.