2022 Nissan Rogue gets new 3-cylinder turbo engine
At 1.5 liters, this little dynamo is a cutdown version of the automaker's larger 2.0-liter variable-compression engine and it's a winner.
The popular Nissan Rogue crossover gets an update 2022 and makes its debut Wednesday at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show. Unfortunately, the only change of note is under the hood, but still, it's a big one.
Across the model range, Nissan's best-selling nameplate is now motivated by a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine. A cutdown version of the automaker's 2.0-liter variable-compression turbo-four that's used in the Nissan Altima and Infiniti QX55, this little dynamo cranks out 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque. That's enough to make the 2022 model the most powerful Rogue ever. Additionally, this turbo-three also has the most standard torque of any gasoline engine in its class, which includes the ones in other SUVs like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
Aside from more giddy-up, this engine helps improve the Rogue's fuel economy by a significant amount. In combined driving, the vehicle is expected to return 33 mpg, 3 more than before, which is a big win for Nissan and something it was able to achieve without adding any sort of complicated hybrid system.
This engine has more tricks up its sleeve than a professional magician.
Helping provide this fuel economy improvement, the engine is loaded with advanced tech. There's a new high-pressure fuel-injection system, the valve lifters have a special friction-reducing texture, the cylinder walls feature a mirror-bore coating and there's even a stepless, variable-displacement oil pump. Of course, just like its big brother, this powerplant can adjust its compression ratio between 8:1 and 14:1 for different driving conditions. Higher boost with a lower compression ratio is favored for creating power, but higher compression and less boost is better for fuel economy. Here, you can have both.
But the engine isn't the only thing that helped improve the Rogue's efficiency. The vehicle features a new continuously variable transmission, one with several important changes. This 'gearbox' features a 17% wider ratio spread -- both lower on the bottom and higher up top -- something that improves efficiency and performance, helping give the 2022 Rogue impressive low-speed snap. Beyond that, the transmission's internal friction is reduced by a whopping 32% thanks a twin-pump hydraulic system and new control valves. A small mechanical pump with a low flow rate is used for slow shifting, such as in normal driving, but a larger electric pump is also incorporated. This unit flows much more and helps deliver quicker ratio changes during hard acceleration.
Overall, this new powertrain is impressive, moving the 2022 Nissan Rogue with ease, especially at lower speeds where it practically leaps off the line. The three-cylinder variable-compression engine is also plenty smooth, exhibiting none of the grittiness or choppiness you get with some competing engines. Even better, this unit doesn't exhibit as much surging and sagging as its larger four-cylinder progenitor, a complaint many have voiced in reviews of vehicles fitted with this engine. But for complete details about how well this new powertrain performs, make sure to check out our full review of the 2022 Nissan Rogue.
