Review: Nissan gets serious with 2017 Rogue Hybrid

Toyota and Honda have been leaders when it comes to introducing hybrid cars over the years, those wonder vehicles that switch back and forth between a gas engine and battery power and have collectively saved millions of gallons of gas along the way.

The third big Japanese automaker, Nissan, has largely sat it out. It offered an Altima Hybrid sedan in 2011, Pathfinder Hybrid SUV in 2014 and Murano Hybrid SUV in the past year, but hasn't shown a lot of commitment to the technology.

Nissan now is fighting back. Along comes the hybrid version of the 2017 Nissan Rogue, a nice compact crossover SUV hybrid designed to give Toyota's RAV4 Hybrid a run for the money.

Just how much money is yet to be seen. Nissan hasn't disclosed Rogue hybrid's prices. The conventional Rogue starts at $23,820 plus $940 in delivery charges. Rogue's hybrid version will clearly be more, but it will have to be competitive with RAV4 Hybrid, which was listed at $28,370 plus $900 in shipping when we tested it earlier this year. There, the hybrid option was only a $700 premium over the conventional version.

Another sign that Nissan is committed: It estimates hybrid sales will make up a respectable chunk of the sales mix on Rogue.  "This is a very serious effort," says spokesman Dan Pass.

Nissan Hybrid is expected to be rated at 33 miles per gallon in city driving, 35 mpg on the highway and 34 combined in the front wheel drive version. That compares with 26 mpg city, 33 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined for the conventional version.

Yet the 2-liter four-cylinder engine backed up by an electric motor puts out an adequate, though not overwhelming, amount of power — 141 horsepower that, when combined with the electric motor, amounts to 176 horsepower overall.

Rogue can stay in electric-only mode at speeds up to 75 miles per hour. And perhaps the best thing about it, you're never really cognizant that it's a hybrid. The switches between the gas engine and batteries are smooth.

Besides likely a higher price, the tradeoff for being a hybrid is the hybrid battery in the cargo compartment. It extends about an inch or two above the normal cargo area.

We frankly doubt most people will buy the Rogue Hybrid simply because it's a hybrid, but because they like the overall package. Here's what we liked about it:

• It has a classy, bright, upscale interior, one of the best in class. 
• There are handy pockets in the backs of the front seats and heating controls for the rear seats.
• The around-view camera makes the Rogue Hybrid easier to park in tight spaces than other SUVs.
• Rogue Hybrid has an impressive array of safety gear, including lane-departure warnings and forward emergency braking. Our favorite feature is decidedly low tech: It has a warning beep when backing in electric mode.

The real question becomes whether the Rogue Hybrid is better than the RAV4 Hybrid. That's tough. RAV4 Hybrid has plenty of oomph and its own impressive gas mileage — 194 horsepower and 32 mpg combined in its all-wheel-drive version — but both are solid, nicely crafted vehicles. Really, it will come down to final pricing and personal preference.

What Stands Out

Hybrid: Nissan gets serious on gas savers

Size: The two-row compact is a handy size, yet carries plenty

Interior: Upscale

2017 Nissan Rogue Hybrid

What? A two-row compact SUV

Where? Smyrna, Tenn.

When? Comes in December

How big? 15.4 feet long

What makes it go? A 2-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, coupled with a continuously variable transmission, good for 176 horsepower in total

How thirsty? 33 miles per gallon in the city, 35 mpg on the highway and 34 mpg overall in the all-wheel-drive version

Overall? Gives compact buyers a choice when it comes to a compact SUV hybrid, the Nissan or the Toyota