Nissan is drawing a line around its performance-focused NISMO badge, saying it won’t be applied to every model simply because the automaker can. Nissan North America Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer Ponz Pandikuthira says a NISMO vehicle needs to remain authentic to the performance brand, making a 2027 Nissan Rogue NISMO unlikely in the near future.
Nissan Rules Out a Rogue NISMO for Now
Speaking with The Drive, Pandikuthira was asked whether the new 2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid would make sense with NISMO treatment. His immediate response was, “Off the top of my head, no.”
Pandikuthira explained that his product-development focus is on what customers actually want from a family vehicle. That approach puts a performance-oriented Rogue lower on Nissan’s priority list.
The question is particularly relevant as Toyota offers a RAV4 GR Sport plug-in hybrid crossover producing 320 horsepower. Pandikuthira acknowledged the challenge while outlining what a Rogue would need to become a true NISMO model.
“If we were to make a NISMO rally car, if you will, out of a Rogue, it’s going to have to have north, I don’t know, 300 plus horsepower, [with] much different dynamic handling. I would strip out a lot of the elements to make it lightweight. How many real customers do we have for a product like that?”
NISMO Must Serve a Clear Purpose
For Nissan, turning the Rogue into a NISMO model would mean changing a vehicle designed around family use into something substantially more performance-focused. Pandikuthira questioned whether enough customers would actually want that combination.
Instead, he wants Nissan to direct its resources toward vehicles where performance or capability is already central to the product.
“Should I put that effort into making a Z NISMO better; bringing a GT-R to market a lot faster? Am I better off spending time investing in the Rock Creek version, which is really giving more off-road capability, a rugged set of utility tires, and other camping accessories because that’s how people us this car?” Pandikuthira said.
He added, “So if I have to focus on, ‘what do people typically who buy a Rogue do with their vehicle,’ NISMO’s not at the top of the list.”
Nissan Wants to Protect the NISMO Badge
Nissan has used the NISMO badge on a range of vehicles, including the Armada SUV offered in the U.S. It has also applied the badge to the Ariya electric crossover and the X-Trail SUV, which are sold in Japan and other regions.
Under CEO Ivan Espinosa, who took the reins last year, and Pandikuthira, Nissan appears focused on streamlining its range while being more selective about where the NISMO badge is used.
That strategy would keep the badge associated with vehicles where Nissan believes it has a clear performance purpose, rather than expanding it across the lineup simply for the sake of offering another sporty version.
The Future of Rogue NISMO
For now, Nissan’s position is clear: the 2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid is not being positioned as a NISMO model. The company instead plans to focus its performance resources on existing performance-oriented products and versions that deliver capabilities customers are already seeking.
