In mid-September, auto showrooms will be graced with the arrival of Nissan’s new compact crossover, the 2008 Nissan Rogue.

 

Its design clearly reflects that it intends to level with the likes of Toyota RAV4 and Honda CRV. It’s the first ever small car-based crossover from the top 2 Japanese automaker.

During a press conference to introduce the 2008 Rogue, officials of Nissan said that its target buyers are men more than women, unlike the Toyota’s RAV4 and Honda’s CRV which are owned by women more than men.

According to Mike Drongowski, Nissan regional product manager, the exterior of Nissan was designed to have more styling appeal than the boxes that is evident in this segment. “It has sports-oriented styling in a segment that’s traditionally more conservative in design,” he said. “It’s not a minivan, and it’s not a grocery-getter.”

That styling, along with the vehicle’s sporty handling characteristics, should help make it appeal to male consumers more than vehicles such as the CR-V and RAV4 do, he added.

But Drongowski admitted that even if Nissan succeeds in drawing in male buyers, the Rogue will still have a large percentage of female buyers. He said that a 50-50 split would be deemed as a success. With the other vehicles in this segment, women make up 60 percent or more of the purchasers.

He also said, “Men and women in the target age group (late 20s to early 30s) are ‘responding well’ to the Rogue in advance marketing efforts.”

The Rogue appears much less-boxy than most of its competitors, including the RAV4, CR-V, Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner, Mazda Tribute, Mitsubishi Outlander, Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent, Saturn Vue, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.

Its overall look appears to be like that of a smaller Nissan Murano, a midsize crossover that also broke from the pack with its innovative, sleek styling.

2008 Nissan Rogue’s Specs:

Key features: Edgy styling aimed at men; a roomy interior with seating for five; and standard amenities such as power windows/mirrors/door locks, air conditioning, and side-curtain air bags.

Under the hood: A 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, connected to a continuously variable automatic transmission.

EPA fuel economy: 22 mpg city/27 highway (front-wheel drive); 21/26 (all-wheel drive), using the new 2008 formula.

Prices: None announced yet, but expected to begin in the low $20,000s.

On-sale date: Mid-September.

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