Nissan Rogue named “Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee”

A front left 3/4 view of a 2024 Nissan Rogue parked on cement in front of a white building.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. - The Nissan Rogue has been named the "Coolest Thing Made in TennesseeOpens in a new tab." for 2024 by the Tennessee Manufacturers Association. This award recognizes the Rogue for its craftsmanship and innovative design. The vehicle is manufactured at Nissan's Smyrna facility and is powered by engines built at the Nissan Decherd Powertrain Plant.

"Our team members are dedicated to excellence, and this award acknowledges their hard work and innovative spirit," said David Johnson, regional senior vice president, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management and Purchasing, Nissan Americas. "The Rogue is a prime example of our commitment to delivering high-quality, innovative vehicles to our customers. It's an honor to see their efforts recognized in such a prestigious manner by fellow Tennesseans."

The inaugural "Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee" competition received more than 100 nominations, highlighting the diversity in the state's manufacturing sector. The Rogue advanced through three competitive rounds of voting to claim the top spot with more than 75,000 votes from Tennessee residents.

"Our team at the Smyrna plant puts their heart and soul into the Rogue, and this award is a huge validation of their hard work," said Brian Crockett, vice president, Manufacturing, Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant, Nissan U.S. "They have helped make the Rogue a standout vehicle, and this achievement shows just how much passion and effort they exhibit every day. It's incredible to see their efforts recognized like this."

"This recognition means a lot to everyone at the Decherd plant where we build the Rogue's 201-horsepower VC-Turbo engine, the world's first variable compression ratio engine," said David Sliger, vice president, Decherd Powertrain Operations, Nissan U.S. "Our employees take immense pride in what they do, and it's wonderful to see their dedication and talent celebrated."

The award was presented during a luncheon at the Smart Solutions for Smart Factories Expo, held at The Commons at PIE Innovation Center in Cleveland, Tennessee. The event honored the finalists and celebrated Tennessee's manufacturing industry.

"The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry/Tennessee Manufacturers Association's inaugural Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee competition truly showcases the great innovation and entrepreneurship happening in the Volunteer State," said Moore Hallmark, U.S. Chamber of Commerce vice president and managing director of Regional Government Affairs. "We extend our congratulations to the finalists, who exemplify the ambition, innovation, and passion that helps improve the lives of all Americans."

For further details on the Tennessee Manufacturers Association and the competition, visit coolestthingmadeintn.comOpens in a new tab..

About the Nissan Rogue

The Nissan Rogue is a compact crossover SUV and is currently Nissan's best-selling vehicle in the United States.

Rogue was recently refreshed for the 2024 model year and was the first Nissan available with Google built-in, featuring Google Assistant, Google Maps and more on Google Play on a 12.3-inch color touchscreen (SL, Platinum grades). With Google built-in integrated directly into the vehicle, all these features can be used without pairing or plugging in a phone. Nissan Safety Shield® 360 is standard on all grades. The suite of advanced safety technologies includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Automatic Braking.

Additional driver assistance technologies include available ProPILOT Assist, which provides steering assistance and Intelligent Cruise Control for highway driving, and available ProPILOT Assist 1.1 (SL, Platinum), which uses data from the vehicle's navigation system to help proactively adjust Rogue's speed ahead of freeway interchanges and curves.

The 2025 Nissan Rogue will reach Nissan dealerships later this summer with new Rock Creek edition, ProPILOT Assist 2.1 and debut of Invisible Hood View.

About the "Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee" competition

Hosted by The Tennessee Manufacturers Association, University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services, The Smart Factory Institute, and Chattanooga Regional Manufacturers Association, the inaugural "Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee" competition aims to highlight the state's vibrant manufacturing industry.

About Nissan Smyrna

The first auto assembly plant in Tennessee, Nissan Smyrna currently builds the Nissan LEAF, Murano, Pathfinder, Rogue and INFINITI QX60. To date, Nissan has invested $7.1 billion USD in the Smyrna plant. With more than 5,700 employees and an annual production capacity of 500,000 vehicles, Nissan's Smyrna operations represents the largest U.S. manufacturing site within the company's network and one of Nissan's largest factories in the world.

About Nissan Decherd

Nissan's powertrain plant in Decherd, Tennessee began as a 4-cylinder engine assembly plant in 1997. Today, more than 1,700 Nissan employees assemble 4-cylinder, 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder engines for Nissan and INFINITI vehicles including Altima, Rogue, Murano, Pathfinder, QX60, Frontier, Patrol and TITAN, as well as eMotor assembly for LEAF. Nissan's Decherd plant represents a $1.4 billion USD investment.

About Nissan

For more information about Nissan products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissanusa.comOpens in a new tab.. You can also follow Nissan on FacebookOpens in a new tab., InstagramOpens in a new tab., X (Twitter)Opens in a new tab. and LinkedInOpens in a new tab. and see Nissan's latest videos on YouTubeOpens in a new tab..

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Issued by Nissan