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Nissan has a new version of its bestselling Rogue SUV, and it’s launching the model here with the latest version of its e-Power hybrid system, which Ars tested in February. Most hybrid cars you can buy today are parallel hybrids, which means that they have an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, both of which drive some or all of the wheels—everything works in parallel. But there’s another approach. Instead of connecting the engine to the wheels via a transmission, it can act as a generator and charge the traction battery, which in turn powers the electric motor. Since the engine and motor work in series, this is known as a series hybrid. That’s mostly how the Chevrolet Volt worked. As does Honda’s hybrid CR-V. Well, mostly; engineers worked out it was more efficient for those cars’ gasoline engines to directly drive the wheels at highway speeds, something that to this day makes a certain subset of hybrid car enthusiasts irrationally angry. If you know anyone like that in your life, send them to wherever the nearest Nissan dealership is, because the 2027 Rogue Hybrid is exactly what they’ve been asking for. Series hybrids Under the hood, with its crisp shut line and slim horizontal lights that give me something of a Range Rover vibe, there’s a 1.5 L, three-cylinder turbocharged direct-injection engine that generates 148 hp (110 kW). It only revs to 5,200 rpm because it’s optimized to charge the battery, not cope with the various loads of an engine connected to a gearbox and the wheels. That also allows the engine to operate at a rather impressive 42 percent thermal efficiency—we would need to look at Formula 1 engines to find higher. This charges a 1.67 kWh lithium-ion traction battery that has been optimized for its charge and discharge ability, which in turn powers a pair of electric motors. At the front axle sits a 202 hp (150 kW), 243 lb-ft (330 Nm) permanent synchronous magnet motor, at the rear another PSM providing 134 hp (100 kW) and 144 lb-ft (195 Nm), although given the battery’s limitations, combined power output is 225 hp (168 kW). And as you would expect, the motors will regeneratively brake under deceleration to return as much energy to the battery for reuse as possible.
document fetched 2026-10-31 02:55 · canonical https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/10/2027-nissan-rogue-hybrid-drives-like-an-ev-but-theres-no-plug-involved