2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid Has A Gas Engine That Never Drives The Wheels

The 2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid brings the company's third-generation e-POWER system to the U.S., with electric motors driving the wheels and a gas engine generating electricity.

Nissan has introduced a hybrid Rogue with a powertrain that works differently from most hybrids sold in America. The 2027 Rogue Hybrid uses Nissan's third-generation e-POWER system, which means the gasoline engine does not mechanically drive the wheels. Electric motors do all of the driving.

The system produces 225 horsepower and uses two electric motors to provide standard all-wheel drive. Nissan's preliminary estimate puts the Rogue Hybrid at 38 mpg combined, with an official EPA rating still to come.

The Gas Engine Is Only A Generator

The Rogue's 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine exists primarily to make electricity. It can send power to the battery and electric motors, but there is no conventional mechanical connection between the engine and the wheels.

It thus makes e-POWER a series hybrid rather than the parallel-hybrid setup used by many other gas-electric vehicles. Nissan says the system is designed to deliver an electric-motor driving experience without requiring the owner to plug the vehicle in.

The third-generation system also uses a new 5-in-1 electric unit combining the motor, inverter, reducer, generator and increaser. Nissan developed the engine specifically for electricity generation, allowing it to operate independently of vehicle speed and concentrate on its most efficient operating range.

Nissan Has Been Developing This For Years

The Rogue is not Nissan's first e-POWER vehicle, but it marks an important expansion of the technology in the U.S. Nissan launched e-POWER in Japan in 2016 and has since developed three generations of the system.

Nissan's third-generation system was designed with greater efficiency and lower cost in mind. The company has previously said the latest version targets a 20 percent reduction in cost compared with the first generation, while improving fuel efficiency by 10 percent.

The U.S. Rogue was identified by Nissan as one of the first North American applications for the third-generation system, following its rollout in the Qashqai in Europe.

The Rogue Hybrid Arrives As Nissan Expands Its Hybrid Strategy

The new Rogue Hybrid will be offered alongside Nissan's other Rogue powertrains rather than replacing the gasoline model outright. Nissan says the hybrid will begin reaching U.S. dealers in fall 2026, with additional versions following in early 2027.

The hybrid also brings a substantially revised Rogue cabin and exterior, along with Nissan's latest driver-assistance and connectivity technology. But the powertrain is the bigger story. For American buyers, the Rogue becomes Nissan's introduction to a hybrid system where the gasoline engine can concentrate entirely on generating electricity while electric motors handle propulsion.