The Rogue compact SUV is Nissan’s most popular model in the U.S., where it had been offered only without electrification even though other markets received a hybrid version.
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When North America started favoring hybrids, Nissan was caught wrong-footed. The e-Power hybrid system offered elsewhere was not powerful enough for American highways and driving habits. While engineers worked on a suitable version of the e-Power hybrid system—where the gas engine acts as a generator but does not propel the wheels—to make it palatable for North America, Nissan looked for an immediate solution to bridge the gap.
Nissan turned to alliance partner Mitsubishi, which had the Outlander plug-in hybrid. The 2026 Rogue PHEV is unabashedly a Nissan-badged Outlander with a 2.4-liter I-4 engine and dual electric motors, giving it about 248 horsepower and around 38 miles of EV range.
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Once Nissan launches the fourth-generation Rogue for the 2027 model year, which will have that improved e-Power hybrid system, the gap will be bridged and the book will close on the PHEV. Nissan thinks the e-Power hybrid will be a huge success.
2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid.
Likely Phased Out After 2026 Model Year
“Once we launch the new e-Power in the Rogue, we’ll be done with the plug-in hybrid version,” says Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan Americas chief product and planning officer. It will likely be phased out after the 2026 model year.
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No tears will be shed. It was low-volume and its reason for existing evaporated. When the plug-in Rogue was introduced in early 2025, it qualified for the $7,500 tax rebate incentive in the U.S. and Nissan received a lot of emissions credits for having it in the lineup, says Pandikuthira. “That was the strategic reason for doing it.”
And it filled a big hole in the Nissan lineup. Dealers said people shopping online wanted a hybrid and when they saw that the Rogue didn’t have one, they wouldn’t even come into the dealership, Pandikuthira said. “We needed to accelerate. The fastest way was to work with partner Mitsubishi and make a Nissan version of it. We didn’t even try to cover it up. It was a badge-engineered solution.”
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Volume expectations for the year are super low, Pandikuthira said. The government eliminated the EV credit and without it, the Rogue PHEV is an expensive vehicle, starting at close to $48,000. “I think we will sell a few thousand vehicles, hopefully drive a little traffic, but essentially it is a bridge to e-Power,” which he says was pulled ahead.