2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek review: Answering the call

The Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition has been around since 2019, but it didn’t really find its groove until 2023. Thanks to a rugged redesign, the model transforms into a stylish, capable crossover with a raised suspension and wide all-terrain tires.

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It proved to be a winning combination, so Nissan decided to extend the Rock Creek treatment to the 2025 Rogue. The results speak for themselves, as this model adds swagger and more features.

quick overview

off-road attitude

Michael Gauthier/Carscoops

While the standard Rogue has many features, ruggedness isn’t one of them. This forced the design team to get creative and incorporate some cues from Pathfinder Rock Creek. The resulting design is noticeably more muscular, as the crossover sports a unique front fascia with a gloss black grille and three silver accents. They consist of a gloss black front bumper, matching mirrors and Lava Red accents. They are paired with Boulder Grey, Baja Storm, Super Black or Everest White paint.

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The tubular roof rack holds up to 220 lbs (100 kg), further enhancing the adventurous look. Buyers will also find 17-inch satin black wheels wrapped in Falken Wild Peak all-terrain tires to provide extra traction for off-road adventures.

Elegant and comfortable cabin

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Since the Rogue Rock Creek is aimed at customers with an active lifestyle, the cabin features stylish seats covered in leatherette upholstery as well as “moisture-resistant and ballistic-resistant materials.” They’re comfortable and supportive, which is exactly what you need when traveling on rugged trails. The front seats are also heated and finished in Lava Red, adding a much-needed pop of color to the interior.

Other changes are limited, but the Rock Creek Edition has piano black trim and a 12-volt power outlet in the luggage area. This is on top of the usual standard equipment, including a six-speaker audio system and an 8-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

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Our tester came with the $800 Premium package, which is a steal. In addition to a wireless smartphone charger and a heated steering wheel, this package adds a four-way power front passenger seat, LED accent lighting and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. They also include a sports-driven electric tailgate, rearview mirrors with integrated turn signals and memory functions for the driver’s seat.

A crossover that’s not afraid of getting dirty

You may have noticed that the Rogue Rock Creek eschews the hardcore upgrades typically associated with off-road vehicles. This limits the model’s capabilities, but there are some feature changes aside from the all-terrain tires.

Chief among these are the off-road suspension and unique Hill Descent Control system. The latter is unique to the Rock Creek version and performed well in our limited testing. When approaching a steep slope, you simply tap a button on the mode selector to descend, and the vehicle automatically brakes to slow down at a predictable rate.

When going uphill, the off-road view shows what’s directly in front of the vehicle as well as to the sides. This is very helpful as it eliminates a major blind spot when approaching the top of a mountain. The display can operate at speeds of up to 12 mph (19 km/h) and can also help you avoid obstacles hidden beneath the vehicle, but the image quality leaves something to be desired.

While the Rogue is undoubtedly street-oriented, Off-Road mode adjusts the transmission, traction and all-wheel-drive systems to handle the task at hand. Steering and throttle response also appear to have been retuned to allow for slower, more measured inputs.

In addition to off-road performance, power is provided by a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine producing 201 hp (150 kW / 204 PS) and 225 lb-ft (305 Nm) of torque. It’s connected to an Xtronic continuously variable transmission and a standard all-wheel drive system.

Thanks to all these features, the Rogue is surprisingly capable off-road. Granted, we weren’t in Moab, but the crossing easily handled steep climbs, shallow wading, and dirt trails. These aren’t challenging obstacles, but they are probably more extreme than most owners encounter.

The perfect blend of style and substance

As long as you keep your expectations in check, the Rogue Rock Creek has the chops to back up its rugged looks. That should be more than enough for consumers looking for an outdoor crossover with more features.

In addition to handling everything thrown at it, this crossover remains quiet and comfortable. Pricing isn’t too low either, with this model starting at $35,420, not including a $1,390 destination fee. That’s roughly on par with the Chevrolet Equinox Activ, which is also aimed at the off-road crowd.

Bonus Spin: Rogue goes hands-free with ProPilot Assist 2.1

The Rock Creek Edition is the main change for 2025, but Nissan also adds ProPilot Assist 2.1. Hands-free semi-autonomous driving is available on SL and Platinum models as part of a $3,200 Technology Package that also includes rain-sensing wipers and a 3D-enhanced Smart Surround View Monitor.

While the system isn’t cheap, ProPilot Assist 2.1 promises to make long trips more enjoyable as it can handle steering, acceleration and braking on the highway. When hands-free driving is available, the dashboard display changes from green to blue and you activate the system with the push of a button.

Unfortunately, our driving loop was heavy on construction, and hands-free mode only worked on short stretches. These conditions were less than ideal, and there was some noticeable side-to-side movement within the lane when hands-free driving was active.

Otherwise, the system works well and the transition between hands-free and manual modes is seamless. It’s also worth mentioning that driver monitoring technology isn’t a babysitter, as you can briefly divert your attention without being screamed at. So if your commute involves a lot of highway driving, you might want to consider ProPilot Assist 2.1.

Michael Gauthier/Carscoops