Taking a page from the Pathfinder Rock Creek, the Nissan Rugged Rogue concept adds on some off-road-ish goodies, along with a lot of macho bling.
Let’s face it: Nissan doesn’t have a dedicated off-road vehicle, this may be why the Nissan Project Rugged Rogue looks pretty sweet to Nissan fans. Sure, the Armada and Pathfinder have some ability in the soft stuff, but they’re hardly a replacement for the vaunted Xterra. That may be why the NISMO team went crazy with the Rogue, and came up with this concept. Mind you: they didn’t put a low-range, or beefed up axles in this thing. In fact, it’s still equipped with the stock turbocharged engine (yea!) and continuously variable transmission (boo..).
Still, they gave it a noticeable lift, along with some proper mud-terrain tires. The NISMO guys went hog-wild with the exterior, and did something I’ve rarely seen, they matched the wheels to the exterior color, where needed. Simply put, gold in front, matching the front exterior color, and black in back – matching that section’s exterior color. Nifty.
The list of external components NISMO added is massive. Many of these items are (or may be) available through NISMO. Others can be added if you go to the right aftermarket provider.
Suspension
- Custom NISMO Off Road 3-inch lift kit
Wheels and Tires
- Prototype NISMO Off Road wheels o 18-inch x 8.5-inch with 5X114.3 bolt pattern for Rogue, Pathfinder, and similar applicationso Bronze and Black finish shown
- 275/65/18 Yokohama GEOLANDAR M/T G003 tires
- NISMO forged open ended lug nuts
Exhaust
- NISMO Off Road custom dual-exit center exhaust tips featuring laser-etched NISMO logos
Exterior
- Custom NISMO Off Road full exterior topographical wrap
- Custom carbon fiber extended width fender flares
- Custom carbon fiber add-on rear spoiler
- Prototype NISMO Off Road roof rack with NISMO Off Road 6-inch round driving lights
- Prototype NISMO Off Road 180-degree rooftop canopy
- Prototype NISMO Off Road canopy mounts
- Prototype NISMO Off Road front bumper guard with NISMO Off Road 6-inch round driving lights
- Custom NISMO Off Road rock rails for increased body protection
- NISMO Off Road 4-inch round driving lights
- NISMO carbon fiber b-pillar cover trim
- NISMO carbon fiber rear hatch trim
- NISMO carbon fiber rear winglet trim
- NISMO carbon antenna trim
- Nissan side window deflectors
- Nissan black rear bumper protector
- Yakima JayLow kayak carrier and kayak
- Yakima Highroad premium rooftop upright bike mount and mountain bike
Interior
- Prototype NISMO Off Road high-performance neoprene front and rear seat covers
- Custom NISMO Off Road spare tire carrier
- NISMO carbon interior lower door trim
I’ve got to say, as one-off SEMA PR creations go, this Rugged Rogue is impressive. You can see it at the 2023 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV – October 31st – November 3rd.
