If there's one product in the portfolio that's crucial to Nissan's viability in the North American market, it's the Nissan Rogue. The compact crossover went gangbusters in the US market a couple of years ago, surpassing the 400,000-unit market two years in a row before declining to a still-impressive 350,447 unit sales last year.

So what does Nissan have in store for its all-important Rogue? Nothing less than a complete redesign, with brand new styling inside and out, drastic improvements to the cabin, and quite possibly, new powertrain options. Now, we're getting our first look at the 2021 Nissan Rogue in living color, after having seen the new crossover's exterior design in a series of grayscale Brazil-market design patent renderings.

Seen here in a series of images from Instagram user @Kurdistan_Automotive_Blog, the new Rogue doesn't look dramatically different from the current model. It's even expected to ride on an updated version of the current CUV's platform, shipping standard with a 2.5L four-cylinder and a continuously variable transmission with front- or all-wheel drive, just like the CUV it replaces.

But the devil is in the details, and the all-new Rogue features a fetching split-headlight design with daytime running lamps and turn indicators in the upper assembly, and low and high beams in the lower one. It's also got a bigger, more assertive version of Nissan's "V-motion" corporate grille, and an overall squarer, more brawny, upright appearance with confident rear haunches.

Inside, the center stack looks more squat and simple, and there's a digital instrument panel facing the driver - almost certainly an option only on higher trim levels like this Platinum example. The quilted leather is a nice touch, also unique to the Platinum trim level, and the Rogue retains its flat-bottomed steering wheel for easier ingress.

As for motivation, while the 2021 Nissan Rogue is expected to retain its 2.5L four-cylinder and CVT as standard, it could also offer the Altima's 2.0L variable-compression turbo engine, good for 248 horsepower and a whopping 280 lb-ft of torque, while hybrid power is expected to rejoin the lineup in helping Nissan stick to its fleetwide emissions goals.

We'll know more as the all-new, 2021 Nissan Rogue gets closer to its anticipated 2020 reveal date.