Having being on the market since 2007, it’s time for Nissan to give its Rogue compact crossover a mid-life facelift. Revealed ahead of the crossover’s first public outing this Staurday at the 23rd Annual International Z Car Convention in Nashville, the refreshed Rogue features new styling elements and equipment upgrades, while retaining the same mechanical hardware.

On the outside, the 2011 Rogue gets a restyled grille and a more sculptured front bumper. The crossover also benefits from different front and rear spoilers, chrome side door guard molding trim accents, new front and rear tire deflectors and a chrome license plate finisher plus new alloy wheel options.

Even the Rogue continues to be powered by the same 170-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine linked to an Xtronic CVT, thanks to the new low rolling resistance tires and an under-body cover, fuel economy has improved by 1 mpg for both Highway driving (FWD models) and City (AWD models). The new EPA estimates are 22/28 mpg City/Highway for the FWD Rogue and 22/26 mpg City/Highway for the AWD model.

For the 2011 model year, the Rogue will be offered in two trim levels, S and SV, along with the special edition Rogue S Krom that comes with a unique front grille and rear fascia, center-exit sport-tuned exhaust and 18-inch alloy wheels. Details on pricing will be released closer to the launch date in mid-August.