Nissan has officially started US production of the all-new 2021 Rogue at its plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. It is a very important moment for Nissan USA as the Rogue is the brand’s best-selling nameplate in the country, with more than 3 million units sold over 13 years. The 2021 Rogue also has the difficult mission of leading Nissan’s turnaround in the United States.

The U.S. manufacturing team rallied together like never before to overcome unprecedented challenges that could have impacted this moment. They are ready to ramp up and put Rogue on the road.

The third-generation Rogue is built using advanced manufacturing technology such as virtual reality and collaborative robots (‘cobots’). Nissan says it has deployed more collaborative car manufacturing robots with the new Rogue than with any other previous model launch. The robots are used to assist with a number of jobs to ensure repetitive tasks are done the same way every time. Nissan says this helps free up workers to perform more skilled tasks and produce higher-quality vehicles.

Nissan also used virtual reality so that engineers could troubleshoot issues before moving to the production floor. The technology helped identify manufacturing concerns before the first steel was cut, while shaping the design of process equipment through early, virtual feedback from production technicians.

The Rogue has been in production at Smyrna Vehicle Assembly plant since 2013. The facility employs 7,000 people and is responsible for more than 14 million vehicles since opening in 1983, with the Rogue accounting for nearly 1.1 million. The plant currently builds six models: Rogue, Altima, Leaf, Maxima, Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60.

The new Rogue is the first of six new Nissan models for the U.S. that will be offered by the end of 2021. The model will arrive at dealers across the U.S. this fall.

Lauren Fix, The Car Coach® is a nationally recognized automotive expert, media guest, journalist, author, keynote speaker and television host. Post your comments on Twitter: @LaurenFix or on her Facebook Page.