Nissan Rogue's Self-Driving ProPilot Assist Is Like Using the Force
As entries in Nissan’s ongoing cross-promotional “Star Wars” tie-ins go, it’s unlikely they get much more seemingly tailor-made-to-fit than the “Rogue One”/Nissan Rogue partnership a couple of years ago. A just-released TV spot again features the Rogue SUV, this time as an earthbound stand-in for the so-called “fastest ship in the galaxy,” the Millennium Falcon prominently featured in the upcoming prequel “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” opening Memorial Day weekend.
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Shop the 2018 Nissan Rogue near you
The ad — debuting in conjunction with Star Wars Day on May 4, the made-up geek holiday that carries the punny greeting, “May the Fourth be with you” — opens with a droid (the “Star Wars” universe A.I. robots, not the smartphone) named L3-37 piloting the Falcon with Chewbacca, the Greatest “Star Wars” Character of All Time (have I said that before?), reliably in the co-pilot position. The bot skillfully maneuvers the ship through a harrowing onslaught of Imperial Tie Fighters, Star Destroyers and laser blasts coming from all directions.
The action then cuts to a comely young couple — likely on their way back from Whole Foods before an evening out for tapas and sangria with their attractive-couple friends — and their properly restrained, Chewbacca-doppelganger doggie in the backseat. The woman behind the wheel boasts like Han Solo reminiscing about making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs as she activates Nissan’s semi-autonomous ProPilot Assist feature to navigate her through fast-moving highway traffic.
“Whether a long journey or a long day, the ProPilot Assist function on the Rogue makes a great sidekick to help give you confidence on the highway,” said Jeremy Tucker, Nissan vice president of marketing communications and media, in a statement.
OK, let’s get something straight real quick: In no universe, be it this one or the ever-expanding “Star Wars” one, should the Nissan Rogue be compared with the Falcon. The Rogue may be the Millennial Falcon but it ain’t the Millennium Falcon. And neither that dude in the leather jacket with the three-day stubble, nor that adorable little bandolier-harnessed pup are Chewbacca-equivalent “sidekicks.”
Still, when Cars.com reviewer Fred Meier tested ProPilot Assist earlier this year, he did find it to be a feature worthy of spending the extra credits on your next transport purchase. Once activated, the single-lane, self-centering adaptive cruise control system — available on the 2018 Rogue as well as the 2018 Nissan Leaf — is able to guide the vehicle between well-marked lanes at highway speeds, as well as in stop-and-go traffic. Available only on the Rogue’s range-topping deluxe SL trim with the Platinum Package, Meier felt the feature was worth its weight in mitigated commuting fatigue.
You’ll have to wait until May 25 to see “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” but you can buy a 2018 Nissan Rogue with ProPilot Assist right now. Or, you can enter Nissan’s “Best in the Galaxy” sweepstakes to win a “Star Wars”-customized Rogue, Altima sedan or Titan pickup truck along with a replica Range Trooper helmet from the movie. Enter here through June 3.
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