Nissan Rogue In Snow : [ Good For Winter Driving? Explained ]

Comfortable seating and generous cargo space make the Nissan Rogue one of the best-selling cars of the brand. Nissan launched this car back in 2008, and the brand has completely packed and restyled the car recently with fresh technology. Interestingly, this car features all-wheel drive, which makes it good for winter conditions. Drivers appreciate the kind of control they get on low-friction and rutted surfaces with this model. Thanks to its enhanced propulsion, you would find controlling the vehicle amazingly easy. The smart AWD system can sense possible traction loss and distribute the power to retain proper control of the car.

As a prospective Nissan Rogue owner, you would be looking for a detailed view of its performance in snow. We have covered its performance and relevant aspects in this article.

Does a Nissan Rogue perform good in the snow?

As a compact and reliable crossover SUV, the Nissan Rogue has proven to be a great pick for winter driving. The car has as much as 8.4 inches of ground clearance to seamlessly cruise along snowy terrains. The car also comes with some sophisticated technologies such as electronic brakeforce distribution, ABS, and all-wheel drive. Particularly, the impressive ground clearance makes it great for handling heavily snow-clad roads.

The Nissan Rogue can drive comfortably over snow and ice. To enhance traction, the car can distribute its power to all its wheels. Once the car gets moving, it switches automatically to the front wheels to optimize power. However, when the surfaces turn out to be challenging, the car uses the AWD system automatically.

At 181 horsepower, the Rogue enjoys adequate engine power to make it suitable for all sorts of winter conditions. However, owners should notice that this is not a typical off-roading car. If you are looking for a family car with adequate cargo space, the Rogue can prove to be a great choice. It comes with roof racks and enough space to accommodate equipment for snowboarding, skiing, and picnics.

Make sure to get branded winter tires to enhance the car’s performance in winter conditions.

What features does a Nissan Rogue have to enhance winter driving?

Have a look at the sophisticated features in the Nissan Rogue that enhance winter driving.

Vehicle Dynamic Control

VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) is an essential feature that you will find in all new cars from Nissan. During winter conditions, this mechanism enables the driver to keep the car well-balanced on slippery terrains. The mechanism involves the use of sensors that monitor the motion of the vehicle and the input of the driver. In some conditions, the mechanism also monitors the braking system and engine output to ensure that the car keeps going in the intended direction. In a nutshell, the Nissan Rogue gets better stability, as the system does away with the chances of an accident stemming from abrupt steering.

Traction control system

The traction control system (TCS) is a computer-backed mechanism that the Nissan Rogue comes as a standard. This significantly enhances the driving experience during the winter. When traction is low, handling the car might turn out to be challenging due to wheel spin. The traction control mechanism takes care of this issue. Under slick conditions, the lack of control due to wheel spins can lead to accidents. As soon as the system detects any wheel spinning faster, it minimizes the power to the particular wheel. Besides, it might apply the ABS to bring the car to halt.

Electronic Brake Force Distribution

The EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution) system banks on the anti-lock brake system and electronic stability control mechanism to find out how much brake force distribution the four wheels need during braking. It minimizes the dangers of driving through snowy conditions such as understeering, oversteering, fishtailing, and spinning. With EBD, braking becomes much more impactful. Besides, the stopping distance also undergoes a reduction. The mechanism can also control the brake force distribution to the tires while you make turns. So, the Rogue wouldn’t dangerously lean to one side and roll.

Anti-lock brakes

The ABS (anti-lock brakes) come in handy when you drive on slippery roads. Sometimes, the applied braking force in case of hard braking exceeds the capacity of the tires to effectively grip the road surface. This might lead the car to get out of your control and skid. The anti-lock brakes take care of this issue, and ensure that the Rogue remains under the control of the driver. The mechanism keeps the tires from locking up, ensuring further safety.

Hill-start assist

Sometimes, when you drive uphill, you tend to start moving just after holding the vehicle for a while. These instances involve hard-pressing the accelerator. However, this is a risky process, as your car might roll backward. This danger turns out to be more acute under snowy conditions. The function of the hill start assist system is to hold the braking pressure and keep the car from rolling backward. So, even when you let the brake pedal loose, the system would hold the braking pressure for a couple of seconds. This provides adequate time for the driver to drive off by pressing the accelerator. When the driver tries to move on, the braking pressure automatically subsides.

All-wheel drive

Rather than a dedicated four-wheel or all-wheel-drive system, Nissan Rogue comes with an intelligent AWD system. It works only when additional power is necessary, which also optimizes the car’s fuel economy. Under slippery road conditions, the mechanism automatically channels power to the areas where the car needs it to enhance grip. The Nissan Rogue, therefore, can receive torque in four wheels rather than two. Therefore, when the car accelerates, a single wheel would not be spinning.

Other sophisticated features in your Nissan Rogue include high beam assist, lane departure warning, and intelligent lane intervention.

What is snow mode on a Nissan Rogue?

The Nissan Rogue comes with a dedicated snow mode. You will come across a snowflake icon in these cars. With the snow mode, the Rogue can better handle the vehicle on slippery surfaces. In case the Rogue tends to oversteer, the VSD would cut off the fuel for a while until the driver can steady the vehicle with the snow mode off. However, when you have the snow mode on, it would ease up your drive on snow-covered trails. It lowers the RPM by reducing the power in the first and second gears. Besides, when the wheels are stuck in the snow, the snow model equally distributes the power to the tires. The snow mode is capable of determining when it needs to shift to a higher gear ratio and reduce the throttle. This helps the driver with more stability. Besides, it prevents the car from sliding by controlling the traction.

Does Nissan Rogue need snow tires?

To enhance the winter performance of your Rogue, you might consider equipping it with snow tires. Experts highly recommend using such tires with low temperatures. This significantly enhances car handling as well as stopping distances. The compound present in snow tires enhances the road grip, as the rubber doesn’t harden in cold temperatures. Besides, these tires have a special tread pattern to push out the snow as you drive on.

How much snow can these cars handle?

There is a large gap of 8.4 inches between the car’s chassis and the ground. Therefore, the Nissan Rogue can comfortably handle around 7.5 inches of snow. Above this level, it becomes risky for the car, as your Rogue might stick to the snow. This might inflict potential damage to the structure under the vehicle.

Moreover, low temperatures won’t be an issue for the Rogue as it is an advanced model. You need not even warm it up before driving out in the snow.

Is it possible to install additional gear on a Nissan Rogue?

Yes, you can use some additional accessories on your Nissan Rogue in winter. This might include:

• Snow tires to ensure better handling and reduce stopping distances.
• Snow socks to increase traction by wrapping around the tire.
• Roof sacks to make additional room for storing snowboards and other accessories.
• Snow chains provide extra grip to the tire.

Is it possible to mount a snow plow on a Nissan Rogue?

Experts recommend not to mount your Nissan Rogue with a snow plow. This is a compact crossover SUV, not a heavy-duty one. The manufacturers haven’t intended to develop it to plow snow. Therefore, incorporating any such equipment in the vehicle will nullify its warranty and compromise the safety. Rather than the Rogue, you might check out the Titan to mount a snow plow, which also comes from the same brand.

Conclusion

Nissan Rogue cars come with all-season tires as a standard. It would be wise to get them replaced with dedicated winter tires to enhance their performance. If you are looking for a capable SUV to navigate through moderate snow, the Nissan Snow would be an ideal pick. Considering its impressive ground clearance, availability of snow mode, and other special features to handle snowy terrains, car enthusiasts often go for these powerful vehicles.