Nissan planning both Murano and Rogue hybrids

Although the new Pathfinder Hybrid has yet to hit showrooms, Nissan already has hybrid versions of its smaller crossovers, the Murano and the Rogue, in the pipeline. This is according to a recent Nissan presentation given by Carla Bailo, Nissan senior vice president of research and development.

It’s about time, too, as both vehicles were last redesigned in 2008. The new Murano and Rogue models will likely be unveiled sometime in the next six months and go on sale in early 2014 as 2015 models, according to a Green Car Reports story. Following the Pathfinder example, however, hybrid versions won’t likely follow for another year.

What might the new crossovers look like? If the recent Resonance concept, which debuted last January, is any indication of the design elements of the future Murano, it should be very good looking indeed.

The 2.5-liter supercharged four-cylinder and single-motor hybrid system of the Pathfinder might be better suited to the smaller Murano and Rogue models. In this application, the Nissan hybrid could very well offer further improvements in fuel economy over the regular gasoline only variants.