The Nissan Rogue Sport is new to the U.S. market. The crossover has been on sale for years under the Qashqai name.
In 2016, the Rogue SUV sold over 500,000 units in the U.S. market alone. Since its introduction in 2007, over 1,600,000 Rogues have been sold. In the first quarter of 2107, Rogue U.S. sales are up 43 percent, attesting to its enduring popularity.
The new smaller Rogue Sport is much like the first Rogue launched in 2007. Both are built on the same basic platform, but the new Sport is well, sportier.
Unlike the original three-row, seven-seater Rogue, the Sport variant will be sold as a two-row, five-seater.
The Rogue Sport will have plenty of zip thanks to the 2.0-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder engine, tasked with producing 141 horsepower and 147 lb.-ft. of torque. This inline-four engine is paired with Nissan’s Xtronic CVT featuring manual shift mode. Eco mode and front/rear independent suspension are also standard, much like the Rogue.
The Rogue Sport will be offered with front or all-wheel drive. When it comes to gas consumption, the Sport gets 25 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.
Going for comfort and luxury, top-of-line SL offers up leather-trimmed seats, SiriusXM Satellite Radio and Nissan Connect with navigation and mobile apps. The SL is equipped with 7-inch color touchscreen as the command-central.
Also available are Nissan Intelligent Safety Shield technologies, including emergency braking with pedestrian detection and lane departure prevention, rear cross traffic alert, and blind spot monitoring.
The Rogue Sport is shorter by 12 inches from the standard Rogue, but still has up to 22.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row. This can grow to 61.6 cubic feet if you fold the seat down.
The base S model starts at $21,420, and it is surprisingly well-equipped with advanced features including Advanced Drive-Assist Display (ADAD), Siri Eyes Free, and RearView Monitor. The ADAD is a small customizable display positioned between the engine RPM meter and the speedometer. It is capable of showing navigation directions, audio track info, and test messages.
Stepping up to the $23,020 SV trim will get you 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, Nissan Intelligent Key with push button ignition, power outside mirrors with turn signal indicators, and six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with two-way lumbar support.
Finally, the top-of-line, $26,070 SL model brings 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, NissanConnect navigation and infotainment system, Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection, and leather-appointed seats.
Recently, Junior Achievement conducted a research poll finding that 24 percent of high school graduates expected a vehicle or help paying for a vehicle for high school graduation. The Rogue Sport is an excellent choice for a proud graduating senior.
The Rogue Sport is sporty in style, eye-pleasing safe, affordable, and can never be used as an excuse by the student as a reason not to come back home often.
Dimensions and Stats
Overall length: 172.4 inches
Overall width: 72.3 inches
Overall height (FWD/AWD): 62.5/63.3 inches
Wheelbase: 104.2 inches
Curb weight (FWD/AWD): 3,225/3,340 lbs.
Durhl Caussey writes a car column read around the world. He may be reached at this paper or at [email protected]
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