Nissan to launch hybrid version of Rogue SUV in U.S.

New York – Nissan said Monday that it will soon launch a hybrid version of the Rogue SUV model equipped with its e-Power technology in the U.S. market.

The new Rogue comes at a time when demand for hybrid vehicles is growing against the backdrop of higher gasoline prices and the receding popularity of electric vehicles in the United States. The release will mark the first time the Yokohama-based automaker has sold a model with the e-Power hybrid system in the U.S.

The conventional e-Power system had been seen as unsuitable in the U.S. market because fuel efficiency tends to deteriorate when vehicles equipped with the system drive long distances at high speeds.

A new, third-generation e-Power system, which features improved fuel efficiency during high-speed driving and quieter operation, is used in the new Rogue.

The Rogue, a sister model of the X-Trail, which Nissan sells in Japan, accounts for about 30% of the company’s car sales in the United States.

Prices of the Rogue hybrid will start at $35,490. The vehicle is produced by Nissan Motor Kyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture.