On the Dash:
- Nissan considers a third Smyrna shift, aiming for 1 million U.S. vehicles annually.
- 2027 Rogue Hybrid pricing starts at $35,490, with sales beginning this fall.
- E-Power hybrid tech skips the plug, using dual electric motors for all propulsion.
Nissan is considering a third production shift at its Smyrna, Tennessee, assembly plant as the automaker launches the 2027 Rogue, including the hybrid version it’s counting on to drive U.S. growth, Christian Meunier, Chairman of Nissan Americas, told CNBC. “We’re now maxing out the production capacity in the U.S.,” Meunier said.
Nissan currently runs two shifts at the 6 million-square-foot Smyrna plant, where it builds the Rogue alongside other Nissan and Infiniti crossovers. A second plant in Canton, Mississippi, produces the Altima sedan and Frontier pickup. Adding a third shift at each facility could lift annual U.S. production to roughly 1 million vehicles, up from nearly 487,000 in 2025, Meunier told CNBC.
Nissan confirmed full pricing for the Rogue Hybrid this week. The gas-powered 2027 Rogue launches production at Smyrna this spring, with U.S. hybrid manufacturing following in 2026. In the meantime, Nissan plans to import hybrid units from Japan. The Rogue Hybrid itself will be built at Nissan Motor Kyushu in Japan.
The lineup goes on sale this fall with the SR AWD Technology Package trim, and the full range follows in early 2027 with Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices starting at $35,490 for the SV grade and running to $43,490 for the Platinum trim, plus a $1,575 destination and handling charge.
Rogue Hybrid’s e-Power system uses a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine solely as a generator, never connecting the engine to the wheels. Dual electric motors handle all propulsion, producing a combined 225 horsepower, and the vehicle doesn’t require a plug. Nissan estimates 40 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 38 mpg combined, based on internal testing ahead of EPA confirmation.
The moves are part of a broader Nissan turnaround targeting 1 million combined U.S. and China sales for the Nissan brand by the 2030 financial year. The company has no current plans for a new U.S. plant. Meunier told CNBC that expansion is more likely after 2030.
