Nissan Previews the 2010 Nissan Rogue Krōm

The compact crossover segment is chocked full of competitors, so to help its entrant stand out from the crowd, Nissan is preparing to offer a limited-edition version of its 2010 Nissan Rogue. Building on a popular model of the Nissan Cube, Nissan will add the Krōm trim level on its 2010 Rogue. Like the factory-accessorized version of the 2009 Nissan cube, the new Nissan Rogue Krōm focuses solely on exterior visual enhancements to give it a more unique and customized look.

Just like the cube Krōm, Nissan’s Specialty Vehicles Group tweaked the design of the 2010 Rogue Krōm to make it identifiable from every angle. Up front, the Rogue gets a more aggressive fascia that features a larger lower grille opening that was seemingly inspired by the Nissan GT-R, while the standard egg-crate grille is replaced with a smaller, two-bar chrome grille. Giving the front fascia a more aftermarket look, standard fog lights are integrated into what are likely to be faux air inlet vents. Similar to the new face, the rear of the Rogue Krōm stands out thanks to a standard rear spoiler and a sculpted rear fascia that features center-mounted, dual exhaust outlets reminiscent of the high-performance Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. Finishing off the custom styling, the 2010 Nissan Rogue Krōm gets body-colored exterior mirrors, standard rear privacy glass and exclusive 17-inch, five split-spoke alloy wheels with a polished finish. Nissan is also limiting available color choices to the 2010 Rogue Krōm to just Venom Red, Gotham Gray and Wicked Black.

"The new Krōm edition expands Rogue's already strong appeal, bringing its unmistakable sporty and active design to buyers seeking to stand out from the crowd of ordinary compact SUVs," said Pat Steiner, director, Specialty Vehicles Group. "Just as our NISMO models add enhanced performance straight from the factory, the Krōm lineup offers intriguing, customized design right off the showroom floor."

Other than the exterior upgrades, the only change that will take place on the Nissan Rogue Krōm is the addition of standard audio controls mounted to the steering wheel. This means that the Rogue Krōm will be offered in either front- or all-wheel drive configurations through Nissan’s Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT). While the engine tuning remains the same, the Rogue Krōm’s sport-tuned exhaust should help give the 170-horsepower 2.5-liter inline-4 a more aggressive exhaust note.

Although pricing has yet to be announced, the Krōm edition will be the top trim level 2010 Nissan Rogue lineup (above the Rogue S and the Rogue SL), and it will hit showrooms sometime next month. A base 2010 Rogue S comes with a starting MSRP of $20,340, so we expect the 2010 Nissan Rogue Krōm to start somewhere in the neighborhood of $25,000.

Select photos via Nissan