The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has named the completely redesigned 2014 Nissan Rogue a “Top Safety Pick Plus” -- the highest available overall vehicle rating for crashworthiness.  

The 2014 model-year Rogue scored “good” in all five “Top Safety Pick” categories and earned “Top Safety Pick Plus” status with a “basic” rating for front crash prevention in models equipped with optional Forward Collision Warning.

In 2013, IIHS introduced more stringent criteria and requirements for the “Top Safety Pick Plus” designation. The established “Top Safety Pick” award recognizes passenger vehicles that excel in protecting passengers in moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests and also attract a “good” or “acceptable” rating in the small overlap frontal test. For a “Top Safety Pick Plus” rating, a vehicle must meet “Top Safety Pick” criteria as well as earn a “basic,” “advanced” or “superior” rating for front crash prevention.

The newly redesigned Rogue is an improvement over the previous generation, which was rated “marginal” in the small overlap test and “acceptable” in the roof strength evaluation. This older version of the Rogue, manufactured since 2008, is still in production and sells as the Nissan Rogue Select.

“Nissan has a long-standing commitment to safety and innovation, and this IIHS rating is a very important milestone for the all-new 2014 Rogue,” said Fred Diaz, senior vice president of sales and marketing/parts and service in the U.S. for Nissan North America. “Rogue is the second best-selling vehicle in Nissan’s lineup, and with its standard and available safety features, we’re bringing a new level of affordable technologies and innovations to a growing segment looking for fresh ideas.”

Safety and security features standard on all 2014 Rogues include the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt and occupant classification sensors; front seat-mounted side impact supplemental air bags; roof-mounted curtain side impact supplemental air bags with rollover sensor for front and rear-seat outboard occupant head protection; three-point front and rear seatbelts, front seat belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters and adjustable upper anchors; and LATCH System (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren).

Every Rogue also offers child safety rear door locks; Zone Body construction featuring front and rear crumple zones and occupant zone; Nissan Immobilizer system and anti-theft alarm system; and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with position monitoring and Nissan’s Easy Fill Tire Alert, which sounds the car horn to notify a person filling a tire with air when the recommended tire pressure has been reached.

Also standard on the Rogue is a suite of technologies including Active Trace Control, Active Engine Braking and Active Ride Control. The Active Trace Control system uses Rogue’s standard Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system to help improve cornering feel by automatically applying the brakes or smoothing engine torque characteristics while accelerating. Active Engine Braking uses the CVT to help slow the Rogue as the driver brakes, resulting in easier braking. Active Ride Control helps smooth out the drive by automatically applying the brakes and adjusting engine torque after the vehicle hits a bump, reducing the typical “head bobble” pitch.

Rogue’s available Around View Monitor (AVM) with Moving Object Detection (MOD) system features four small superwide-angle cameras mounted on the front, side and rear of the vehicle that provide a “bird’s eye” virtual 360-degree view of objects around the vehicle. It provides additional selectable split-screen close-ups of the front, rear and curb views, helping the driver maneuver the car in or out of tight spots.

Moving Object Detection builds on the capabilities of the AVM system, helping to enhance the driver’s situational awareness. This feature provides visual and audible warnings if the system detects moving objects -- such as another vehicle -- within the displayed image in situations such as pulling out of a parking space.

Using sophisticated image processing technology, the system detects moving objects within the “top view” when the vehicle is in “park.” When starting off or backing up, it detects moving objects crossing within the front or rear views, respectively.

Other available Rogue Safety Shield-inspired technologies include Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Forward Collision Warning (FCW).