Nissan's new SUV has roguish good looks

Nissan has fared well globally with its stylish Murano crossover, and now it's plotting a smaller brother that will take on the compact SUV brigade.

Pictured alongside is the curiously named Rogue concept, due to take its bow at the North American International Auto Show at Detroit on January 7.

The design study is said to be a precursor to a Toyota RAV4-sized entrant that's due to launch internationally in the latter half of 2008.

There's clear visual links between the Rogue and the Murano -- note the raked-back nose and curvaceous shoulders -- and like its bigger brother, the former will be biased more towards on-road prowess than off-road antics.

The Rogue is underpinned by the so-called 'C platform', and this architecture is also used by the 2007 Nissan Sentra (which we don't get), Renault Megane and next year's British-built Nissan Qashqai.

For the US market, the Rogue will be offered in two trim levels, S and SL, both of which are powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, with drive channeled to the wheels via a CVT (continuously variable transmission). The engine in question is essentially the same 132kW/245Nm unit that propels the existing X-Trail.

US sources suggest the Rogue will be offered in front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive formats as many buyers in this segment never tackle any terrain harsher than a gravel car park (which means the front-driver will be just fine).

Although unconfirmed by Nissan, it's believed the Rogue will supplement the X-Trail rather than replace it. The X-Trail has a devoted following in Australia, and the rugged looking all-terrainer still sells strongly, even though it's now been on the market (largely unchanged) for five years.

We're sure the Rogue will prove popular, too -- we just hope Nissan comes up with a better name.