Franklin, Tennessee— A senior engineer at Nissan pulled back the curtain on the body materials that drive the third-generation Nissan Rogue SUV at this year’s Great Designs in Steel (GDIS) symposium in Novi, Mich.
Repairers may already know this, but the third-generation Rogue, first introduced in 2021, contains a great deal more advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) than its predecessor, including super high formable 980 and super high formable 1180 materials.
Senior engineer at Nissan, Weston Lawson, said that the need for a roomier cabin and reduced weight on the Rogue led to the decision to build the model with an AHSS content of 35 percent, up from the previous generation’s 13 percent.
“This was mainly achieved through the reduction of low strength steel and increase of super high formable 980 and super high formable 1180 materials, which are Nissan core technologies,” said Lawson.
He said that using AHSS allowed engineers to forgo what would have been a substantial weight increase to the vehicle.
“Due to the increase in size and performance requirements, the mass increase would have been over 96 kg if the same material strategy as the previous Rogue was utilized,” said Lawson.
Finding additional locations on the vehicle to swap out traditional materials for aluminum, such as on the hood, doors and front fenders, also helped Nissan engineers shed some of the Rogue’s weight.
“We also achieved mass reduction through the increased usage of joining technologies such as structural adhesives, and from the newly optimized platform,” said Lawson.
This material strategy didn’t help lighten some of the Rogue’s load, but it also beared a positive impact on the vehicle’s crash test ratings, as the use of 980 mega Pascal (MPa) material in the crossmember increased section strength by 52 percent in the 60 km/h side impact test.
As well, lowering the section height of the crossmember by 56 mm helped crash side load management.
“The lower height reduces the bending moment from the side-impact and it smoothly transfers the load across the member,” said Lawson.
Lawson said the Rogue’s B-pillar is also highly unique, in that it is cold-stamped from a tailor-welded blank of super high formable 980 and super high formable 1180 material.
“By utilizing super high formable advanced high strength steel and a cold stamping production process, we can realize the same benefits of hot stamping at a much higher productivity,” he said.
Nissan uses a laser weld process to create the blank that allows for fine control over the weld bead’s hardness.
“This advanced high strength steel solution balances crash safety while providing a mass savings of approximately 15 percent compared to the previous Rogue design,” said Lawson.
Lawson concluded his presentation, saying that Nissan is working toward leading the way in innovative AHSS applications.
“Nissan strives to continue to improve performance and lightweight the vehicle through increased usage of advanced high strength steels,” he said.
“These innovative designs, as discussed, would not have been possible without the material development.”
