Despite the fact that Nissan revealed an all-new Rogue at the Frankfurt Motor Show that will go on sale in November as a 2014 model, the current generation version of the car in North America will not be retired yet. The Japanese carmaker said it will continue to sell it as the Rogue Select “due to popular demand.”
The Rogue Select will go on sale in January 2014 with a base MSRP of less than $20,000 (€14,800) at Nissan dealerships across the United States. Nissan explains that the strategy behind this move is to meet demand for the compact SUV, which is currently the second-highest seller in its U.S. lineup, while also offering customers an additional choice in the segment.
Nissan sold 142,349 Rogue SUV s in 2012 in the United States, with 2013 sales increasing 16 percent through August. “As the compact SUV segment is becoming very specialized, there is an opening for a low-cost, high-content offering, which is a gap that Rogue Select will fill,” said Fred Diaz, divisional vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America.
The current-generation Rogue is built in Kyushu, Japan, where the Rogue Select will also be assembled. The all-new Rogue will be produced in Smyrna, Tennessee. Nissan will release more information about the Rogue Select, including specific pricing and equipment, closer to launch.
By Dan Mihalascu
