2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid Prototype Drive: It's Like an EV

• What's new: A redesigned Nissan Rogue is coming later this year priced around $30,000, and it'll feature Nissan's new E-Power hybrid system.
• Why it matters: A hybrid option will make the Rogue more competitive against segment leaders like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
• Edmunds says: The E-Power tech works well; the Rogue might be a hybrid, but it drives like a fully electric vehicle.

The engine in question is a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-three — and no, it's not the one that's in the current Rogue. The new engine was designed to only ever be a generator, so it doesn't need to have strong power delivery for acceleration — the Rogue's electric motors handle that task. Nissan says the Rogue Hybrid should deliver 20% better fuel economy than the current model.

Pulling away from a stop, the Rogue accelerates briskly, just like an EV. Power delivery is immediate but easy to control. And you can only faintly hear the gas engine humming away in the background — Nissan's done an excellent job of keeping this noise out of the cabin. Dig into the throttle to accelerate from, say, 30 to 60 mph, and the Rogue responds effortlessly without the sound of a gas engine loudly droning. I wish more hybrids acted this way; E-Power is an incredibly refined setup.

The Rogue offers benefits in the opposite direction too. Turn on E-Pedal and you can drive the Rogue with only the accelerator — just like an EV. Strong regenerative braking recuperates energy during deceleration and routes it back into the battery and allows you to bring the Rogue to a stop without ever touching the brake pedal. The Rogue has a so-called "smooth stop" feature as well, where that regenerative power can modulate the SUV's stopping force to bring you to a standstill without herky-jerky body motions.

Across the board, E-Power is a net positive, and I'm glad it'll be the Rogue's only powertrain — at first, anyway. That said, driving the new Rogue prototype back to back with the current model revealed a couple of disappointments, mainly lighter, more disconnected-feeling steering, plus no tangible improvement in ride quality. The 2027 Rogue Hybrid has made huge advancements under the hood, but in terms of overall drivability, it seems to have taken a step in the wrong direction. Hopefully this gets rectified during the Rogue's final stage of tuning. I look forward to driving this SUV in its final form on public roads later this year.

What else is new for the 2027 Rogue?

The new Rogue will be slightly larger than its predecessor. Sitting inside the prototype, you really notice the extra width up front — there's more space between the passengers. The dashboard is also deeper and feels more expansive, leading to sort of a "big car" feeling from behind the wheel. Visibility is still good, though, making the Rogue easy to place on the road.

On the center console, the Rogue's current electronic gear selector has been replaced with a series of P-R-N-D buttons. And above that, Nissan will fit the Rogue with what it calls a "monolith" 14.3-inch multimedia display. I expect the Rogue to have all of the other creature comforts compact SUV buyers want, like tons of safety features, heated and cooled seats, a panoramic sunroof and more. Look for the full details and specs to be divulged this fall.