2011 Nissan Rogue front view

Nissan is planning to market the Rogue as a more mature alternative to the rash of youth-oriented CUVs currently infiltrating the market, and the company has underscored that commitment by decorating the sides of the vehicle with new chrome strips.

2011 Nissan Rogue front view 2

We aren’t typically huge fans of sticking shiny stuff to the exterior of a vehicle, and this instance doesn’t do much to change opinions. Particularly on the spacial front, the Rogue delivers admirably.

2011 Nissan Rogue side view

There’s a total of 58 cubic feet of storage capacity with the rear seats folded flat and Nissan says you can stow something 8.5 feet long out back. Thanks to bolts of dark cloth and plenty of soulless black hard plastics throughout, light enters the cabin, never to return again.

2011 Nissan Rogue rear view

The Rogue could seriously benefit from an infusion of lighter colors, let alone higher quality materials.Each Rogue ships with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine putting out 170 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque.

2011 Nissan Rogue interior

The four-pot is bolted to a CVT complete with an overdrive function and the buyer’s choice of either front- or all-wheel drive.

2011 Nissan Rogue engine

2011 Nissan Juke front view

Nissan seems to be on a war path to fill every last ounce of white space in the automotive spectrum. The company has unleashed a barrage of vehicles that range from playful to downright confusing. At first blush, the 2011 Nissan Juke would seem to fit into the latter category.

2011 Nissan Juke front view 2

With styling that’s two shakes away from robo-reptilian, the small crossover packs plenty of power, a tall ride height and a small footprint into one sub-$20,000 package.

2011 Nissan Juke side view

The Juke weighs in at less than 3,000 pounds in front-wheel-drive guise and packs a turbocharged, direct-injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that’s good for 188 horsepower. For reference, the company’s own Sentra SE-R hits the scales with an extra 88 pounds on its waist and 11 fewer ponies at its command.

2011 Nissan Juke rear view

From the side, the Juke boasts seriously bulging fenders front and rear as well as a short wheelbase of just 99.6 inches. In fact, from stem to stern, the crossover measures a mere 162.4 inches, or shorter than even the admittedly small Versa hatchbackThe rear of the Juke shows more of a traditional CUV or crossover look with a rounded hatch, sculpted taillamps and a small roof spoiler.

2011 Nissan Juke interior

Our bare-bones tester made use of the same direct-injection, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder as the rest of the lineup. That means we had the good fortune of getting to play with a full 188 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque.

2011 Nissan Juke engine

The Juke is as close to a modern hot hatch from Nissan as we’re likely to get anytime soon, and were it ours, we’d immediately begin looking into ways to get the vehicle a little closer to the ground.

2011 Nissan Juke rear seats

2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet front view

Nissan’s biggest commitment to the model was lopping off the rear doors and lengthening the front slammers by a whopping 7.9 inches.

2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet side view

As the wheelbase between the 20-inch alloys remains the same at 111.2 inches (overall length and width are largely unchanged), the look isn’t completely harmonious, but it’s surprising how well it comes together. The CrossCabriolet’s rear aspect is at once the most unique and troublesome, thanks largely to the top’s bizarre split-window design.

2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet rear view

In theory, the narrow, heavily smoked upper glass pane seems like a valuable idea to aid in rearward visibility, but in reality, it’s too horizontal to do much good, and the glass is actually behind the scalps of rear-seat passengers, so they don’t really benefit from a skylight, either.

2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet interior

With smooth, solid power from its 24-valve, 3.5-liter V6 (tuned for 265 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque), an incredibly well-behaved CVT and surprisingly luxurious accommodations, the hardtop Murano is one of our very favorite crossovers. Thankfully, many of those strong points have been preserved in the new CrossCabriolet, including the same nicely formed instrument panel, complete with high-quality plastics and legible gauges.

2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet engine

We particularly like the available high-grade camel leather – a $500 option. Even without the high-dollar hides, the cabin still plays above its station.

Three generations of the existence of the Cube, the ultimate xB our shores, the punch of the boxy Honda Element, ‘s Scion, and Kia Soul to beat. He rides on a shortened platform a Versa Versa notes?-Model and all four iterations are front-drive, and equipped only with a 122-hp, 1.8-liter. Oh, we will not “e-4WD.” Too expensive, says Nissan.

Speaking of price, it is not much, starting at $ 14,685, which includes stability control and A / C (an Ice Cube?). The price rises, as it works its way through the huge package “really top then $ 20,815 for a loaded Cube Krom. What are the brands Krom, we presume, Cube steak. The two top models in the way a six-speed manual CVT identical to the Versa’s.

Behold the 370Z convertible. Like the 350Z, it derives from a fastback coupe. But this convertible—which originated at Nissan Design America in San Diego—was more thoroughly baked into the new Z’s development program. The result is a design that’s much more integrated, much less a slab-sided afterthought.

In addition to its good looks, the new convertible is also easier to live with. The seating position is a little higher than before, providing a better view of what’s going on ahead. (Being in the command center in the previous Z-vertible was like sitting in a foxhole.) With the top up, the view straight astern is also improved, though here the distinction is academic, and as with so many convertibles, the rear-quarter sightlines are blind.

As you’d expect, the top is power operated—one switch does it all. It clamps itself to the windshield header with a resounding whack—a little too resounding, maybe, which also goes for the hard tonneau when the top stows itself. On the other hand, it’s at the high end of the cloth-top quality scale: nicely lined and better than many at damping wind noise.