When one looks at the Nissan Rogue, you would be hard-pressed to think that the urban-focused crossover would be a good tool of choice for serious trail running. However, Nissan knows that in order for it to get a bigger slice of the SUV market, it has to explore other avenues and segments to enhance profits. That includes the off-road market with the Rock Creek moniker serving as the bridge between the hardcore PRO-4X and the standard lineup. The Pathfinder and the Armada are bringing Rock Creek versions to their rosters and the smaller Rogue has now joined the family making the Rock Creek family a potent trio in the off-road ranks.
Rogue Rock Creek has trails in its blood
To find out how the Rogue measured up, Nissan invited us to come to Holly Oaks ORV park at the crack of dawn to put the Rock Creek through its paces. Before we hit the trail, we had a few moments to admire the Rock Creek’s styling. Unlike other Rogues, these models get toughened-up styling with the front fascia getting a reworked front bumper with the piece getting two faux front tow hooks and three equally fake snorkels just above the Nissan logo in the grille. A tubular roof rack enhances the look and the rear gets model-exclusive badging. Nissan even included several easter eggs in the form of mountain logos in the wheels and the Japanese characters for 23.
When viewed as a whole, the Rogue looks tougher than its street-dwelling counterparts with our Baja Storm-hued test rig certainly looking the part. There are also other colors available but we recommend sticking with either Baja Storm or white to get the maximum visual effect from the reworked exterior styling.
The interior of the Rock Creek gets minor changes of its own with the front seats being covered in moisture-resistant upholstery. The material also gets Lava Red accents and contrast stitching and the seats themselves are very comfortable when the SUV is being put through its places. Rock Creek models don’t get the fancier digital instrument cluster and instead, they get a set of analog gauges. The larger 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system is also pitched and a smaller unit is used instead. In the process, the wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay function is lost and buyers will have to use a cord to hook their mobile device up to the system. An $800 Rock Creek Premium Package adds goodies such as a heated steering wheel, a wireless phone charging pad, and a power-activated liftgate.
Rogue Rock Creek makes mincemeat out of obstacles
After we had a chance to get familiar with the Rogue’s exterior charms, it was time to take it out on the trails and obstacles that Holly Oaks had to offer. Crafted out of the innards of a former mine, Holly Oaks was designed to give local off-roaders a safe and legal place to test their off-road skills with the authorities in the area having problems with some of these enthusiasts trespassing on private property before the park was constructed. The park looks like you were transported to the set of a Mad Max film with Nissan crafting a path that showcased the Rock Creek’s capabilities. We got a glimpse of this when we tackled some of the steep hills that dot the park with our tester’s Hill Descent Control feature helping to deliver controlled descents down steep hills thanks to automated braking.
The system also comes bundled with an Off-Road mode which is exclusive to the Rock Creek. When the mode is on, it can activate a front-mounted camera to help provide a handy view of the front which is handy when cresting steep hills like “The Tetons” which are found deep in the park. Go past 12 mph and the camera turns off but with how cautious you have to be when crossing obstacles, we rarely hit that cut-off during our times with the Rogue.
Carryover performance
The Rock Creek’s 235/65-R-17 all-terrain tires provide improved grip and the stability control system allows you to confidently place the Rock Creek on obstacles even when a tire may be sitting in the air. However, since the Rock Creek is not a hardcore PRO-4X model it misses out on some of the off-road gear that many buyers take for granted including skid plates with plastic trays being the only protection between the CUV’s vulnerable bits and obstacles.
Performance for Rock Creek models is carried over from the standard Rogue with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder which makes 201 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque with a CVT being the lone transmission. We didn’t have the opportunity to drive the Rock Creek on formal pavement but a standard Rogue makes the dash to 60 mph in 8.0 seconds so we suspect the Rock Creek will be incrementally slower due to some of its add-ons. Fuel economy is also slightly less than the standard Rogue with the EPA saying that buyers get 27/32/29 mpg in city/freeway/combined driving.
Value Quotient
Pricing for the 2024 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek starts at $35,420 with the $800 Premium Package pushing the price up to just over $37,000. This pricing is a very reasonable ask for a CUV that has a pinch of extra capability and still comes with a well-balanced list of standard equipment. That said, some buyers might not like some of the finer compromises that they are forced to experience when it comes to some of the equipment that Nissan took out to keep the costs down.
However, it’s hard to ignore that the Rogue Rock Creek is attempting to help Nissan bridge a gap in the model lineup while also expanding the appeal of the Rock Creek name by giving buyers a new gateway model that can get them into the nameplate for less money versus what they would have to pay for a base Pathfinder or Armada Rock Creek.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.