The automotive trade has largely moved away from lazy rebadges, however now and again there’s one which brings again recollections of Australia’s Button Plan or troubled British Leyland.
Meet the 2026 Nissan Rogue Plug-in Hybrid, which seems to be completely nothing just like the common Nissan Rogue.
That’s as a result of that is only a rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, differing solely in badging, a grille insert, and the trim between the tail-lights.
It arrives in US dealerships early in 2026, supplied with three rows of seating and a alternative of two trim ranges.
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Amusingly, Nissan’s press launch makes no point out of the Outlander in any way, nor does it supply any clarification as to why this seems to be so completely different from the common Rogue.
The Rogue is the US-built cousin to the X-Path offered in Australia, and the Nissan duo and the Mitsubishi Outlander all share the identical platform.
Nissan selected to easily rebadge the Mitsubishi as an alternative of try to incorporate its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) know-how in its associated Rogue. The corporate’s well-publicised monetary points are more likely to blame right here, with a easy rebadge permitting Nissan to carry the automobile to market way more rapidly.
The Rogue PHEV fills a niche in Nissan’s American lineup for a mid-size hybrid SUV, because the Rogue isn’t supplied but within the US with the e-Energy series-hybrid powertrain that’s obtainable within the Australian-market X-Path. It’s additionally Nissan’s first plug-in hybrid within the US market.
Nonetheless, it’s primarily based on the pre-update Outlander PHEV, not the refreshed mannequin revealed final 12 months that includes a bigger battery and higher-output powertrain.
It comes with a 96kW/195Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine mated with 85kW/255Nm and 100kW/195Nm electrical motors entrance and rear, for complete system outputs of 182kW and 450Nm. The up to date Outlander PHEV, in distinction, pumps out 225kW in complete.
There’s a 20kWh lithium-ion battery, and never the brand new 22.7kWh pack supplied within the up to date Outlander PHEV. Claimed electric-only vary is 61km.
The Rogue PHEV additionally misses out on varied new options within the up to date Outlander PHEV, together with ventilated entrance seats and a Yamaha sound system. It additionally nonetheless has the previous 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen and never the brand new 12.3-inch unit.
Whereas Nissan places its badging on autos from different manufacturers and vice versa, such badge-engineering is often restricted to kei automobiles and business autos resembling vans.
Rebadged Nissan SUVs such because the Terrano, a Dacia Duster relative, are offered in markets the place their twins aren’t at present supplied.
That’s not the case with the brand new Rogue PHEV, which will likely be offered within the US the place the Outlander PHEV can also be offered.
It’s paying homage to the so-called Button automobile trade plan in Australia within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineteen Nineties, when the Ford Falcon ute was offered because the Nissan Ute and Ford bought the Patrol in return because the Maverick, as nicely the mid-size Pintara sedan and hatch because the (fortunately extra differentiated) Corsair.
Whereas Nissan has rebadged a Mitsubishi and expended minimal effort to differentiate it, Mitsubishi has been on the opposite finish of this.
Its new ASX is a Renault Captur with solely the subtlest of exterior differentiation, whereas the Colt is a rebadged Clio, the Grandis is a Renault Symbioz, and the brand new Eclipse Cross is a Renault Scenic.
