► Nissan Rogue Warrior Trail Project
► A crossover with tracks at NYIAS
► Plus Star Wars-themed Rogues
Sadly, we’re not expecting tank-like Qashqais any time soon, but do take a moment to enjoy the lunacy of a go-anywhere, tracked Nissan Rogue (think X-Trail for the US).
The Nissan Rogue Warrior Trail Project was unveiled at the 2017 New York International Auto Show, showing a more military side to family crossover life.
It’s a one-off with no serious production intent (assuming the new American president doesn’t run amok).
Our full preview guide to the NYIAS 2017
How to turn a Nissan Rogue into a bellicose Warrior Trail Project
Note the camouflaged exterior, wrapped in disruptive pattern material to mask the Rogue’s whereabouts. Handy if you’ve just nabbed someone’s parking space at Waitrose.
The windows are swapped for a more ‘military-style yellow glassworks’, for that tinted, sun-dappled look that should pinpoint any danger points on the school run.
And – how could you miss them? – all four wheels are replaced by 30-inch high, 48-inch long tracks for traction when the going gets tough and roads give up.
This is truly a Nissan Rogue that’ll take some stopping. Don’t believe us? Check out the video of it in action below – powered by the regular 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine developing 170bhp and 175lb ft.
If you get stuck, the Warn 4K winch should help and the LED light bar on the roof rack will keep playtime going well after dusk. Alas, this concept car is very much about playtime, with no serious intent…
And the Star Wars Rogue editions… they’re serious?
Well, they’ll soon be on sale in the US. It’s the first tie-up between the Star Wars film franchise and any car maker – oiled by the linguistic proximity of the latest Rogue One Star Wars movie and the Nissan Rogue.
The 2017 Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star Wars Limited Edition is the first production car ever sanctioned by LucasFilm Ltd, the parent company controlling the Star Wars franchise.
A Star Wars Nissan? Is the force strong in this one?
Well, it’s a bit of a damp squib of a special edition, if we’re being honest. But let’s not knock the cool factor of having a Star Wars branded car for some customers in a galaxy far, far away… Pick your 2017 Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star Wars Limited Edition model in black or white, appropriately enough.
To celebrate this rogue branding exercise, Nissan rolled out a large Death Star hovering above its stand and employed a bunch of Storm Troopers to patrol the booths on some public days.
The Rogue is now Nissan’s best-selling vehicle in the US, three years after launch in 2014. The company is launching a new hybridised version and the Rogue Sport, the slightly smaller version based on the regular five-seat X-Trail rather than the seven-seat one.
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