Nissan finally has a hybrid Rogue once again, and the specs are…well, familiar.
It’s been an interesting few years for Nissan’s best-selling crossover. While the automaker has been aiming for better fuel economy with a three-cylinder turbo engine for the 2022 model year, it’s been missing a hybrid this entire generation. In fact, in hindsight Nissan pulled out of the hybrid space just as other automakers were about to jump in, making its absence a glaring omission in the lineup…until now. While a standard Rogue Hybrid is still on the way, we’re getting a look at the 2026 Nissan Rogue Plug-in Hybrid before it makes its public debut at this year’s LA Auto Show.
Now, right of the bat, if you’re thinking this Rogue doesn’t look like your typical Rogue, then well-spotted. That’s because it’s effectively a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV with a slightly different fascia (and a Nissan badge, of course). The two crossovers are already closely related as they share the same platform and have the same wheelbase. However, from the front and rear-end design to the dimensions, interior layout and powertrain, specs and all…this is essentially a Nissan-badged Outlander Plug-in Hybrid.
That means you get a 2.4-liter gas engine under the hood, as well as two electric motors and a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. System output, unsurprisingly in this case, is up to 248 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. This does technically mean the Rogue Plug-in Hybrid is the most powerful version you’ll be able to buy, even if it packs a different look and general vibe to the standard models.
Fuel economy stands at 26 mpg combined on gas alone, while you can rack up 38 miles of all-electric driving for a total driving range of 420 miles. Again, I’m sure you’ll be shocked to hear those figures are identical to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, per the latest EPA estimates.
You do have another advantage in buying the Rogue PHEV, since it is based on the Outlander: three-row seating. This will be the only Rogue that can seat up to seven passengers, with the second row folding and reclining to accommodate the extra two people. Based on our past reviews of the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid, you probably don’t want to put adults on that third row for very long, but if you need a more practical family bus with a modest footprint, this could be just as good an option as its Mitsubishi sibling.
Other features and availability
Being a three-row crossover, the 2026 Nissan Rogue Hybrid does lose a bit of cargo capacity thanks to the extra seats and battery pack. With the third row in place, cargo capacity is just 12.8 cubic feet. That increases to 30.8 cubic feet (about 6 cu. ft. less than the standard car) with the that row folded, while folding the second and third rows opens up 64.7 cubic feet of cargo volume (6.4 cu. ft. less than the standard Rogue).
Sticking with the interior, the 2026 Nissan Rogue Plug-in Hybrid also gets a standard 12.3-inch configurable instrument cluster, as well as a 9-inch central touchscreen. A 10-inch head-up display comes standard on the top-end Platinum trim, while that trim also offers two 1,500-watt power outlets for the rear seats and trunk area, respectively. If you stick with the SL, then you just get four USB ports (one USB-A and one USB-C on the first and second rows).
The Outlander PHEV’s all-wheel drive capability and seven drive modes make their way to its Rogue-branded counterpart, naturally. This time around, though, the safety features are appropriately branded under Nissan Safety Shield 360, including all the features you expect like automatic emergency braking, high beam assist, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot warning, among others. Nissan’s ProPilot Assist 1.1 system, providing steering assistance and braking support, also comes standard on the Rogue Plug-in Hybrid (it’s called “MI-Pilot” in the Outlander).
After it makes its LA debut, Nissan says the 2026 Rogue Plug-in Hybrid will officially go on sale in early 2026. It will be available in SL and Platinum trims only, though we don’t know exactly how much it will cost yet. If the Outlander PHEV is anything to go buy, it will cost more than the standard Rogue in any of its trims, probably starting around the $40,000 mark, excluding destination, with the Platinum running up to the mid-$40Ks or perhaps touching the $50K mark.
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