Skip to main content

2017 Nissan Rogue Sport Preview

img1507229387 1483717099759 jpg 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport | Manufacturer image

CARS.COM

Competes with: Honda HR-V, Toyota C-HR, Mazda CX-3, Jeep Renegade, Chevrolet Trax, Subaru Crosstrek, Nissan Juke

Looks like: A 2017 Nissan Rogue’s younger, cuter sister

Drivetrains: 141-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder; continuously variable automatic transmission with Eco mode; front- or all-wheel drive

Hits dealerships: Spring 2017

Like mushrooms, subcompact SUVs have popped up almost to create a whole new set of choices for U.S. buyers, particularly those in urban areas. Here comes another one: the Nissan Rogue Sport making its debut at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

More 2017 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

You could argue that Nissan had the first one, but its sporty, coupe-like all-wheel-drive Juke, while fun, is an outlier among the more conventional small hatchbacks now populating the subcompact SUV group. It seemed almost out of place in our 2015 comparison of small SUVs.

Enter the more traditional Rogue Sport subcompact SUV. Like Ford’s small EcoSport SUV unveiled in November at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Rogue Sport is the U.S. version of a small SUV Nissan sells abroad, the Qashqai.

Exterior

Unlike the distinctive Juke, the Rogue Sport looks very much like a scaled-down and tweaked version of the Rogue compact SUV, Nissan’s best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for 2016. The Sport shares the Rogue platform and is about the same width, but it is about a foot shorter and about 5 inches lower in height.

The Sport also wears the Nissan “V-Motion” grille and it stretches wide into V-shaped standard daytime running lights and headlight pods that are pulled around the corners. Its profile has the same style and C-pillar shape as the Rogue, but side character lines are stronger and more sharply defined. High arches house wheels up to 19 inches. The overall effect is crisper and sleeker. Large LED “boomerang”-shaped taillights dominate the rear, wrapping around the corners and extending into the liftgate, which is large but has a higher load height than the Rogue above a mostly dark gray-cladded (i.e., city-friendly) bumper.

Interior

The wide body, just 0.1 inch narrower than the Rogue, and long wheelbase, just 2.3 inches shorter, creates a spacious interior feel and allows such grown-up amenities as a full console and armrest and bin between the front seats. There’s also USB connectivity and 12-volt power in the console bin. Standards include a six-way adjustable driver’s seat, four-way adjustable front passenger seat, 60/40-split folding backseat, and climate control vents and a center armrest for the rear seat. Heated seats, a power driver’s seat and leather trim are available as you move up the three trims offered.

A 5-inch display is standard; the available multimedia system with navigation has a 7-inch screen. Unlike some makers with entries in this class, Nissan does not appear to be holding many of the Rogue’s premium options back to try to avoid stealing sales from the larger SUV. One example: Beyond a backup camera, the Sport offers a 360-degree camera system that includes its Moving Object Detection.

In back, Nissan rates the cargo space at 22.9 cubic feet behind the second-row seat and 61.1 cubic feet with the backseat folded, both large for the subcompact SUV class.

Under the Hood

All Sports have a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four cylinder that puts out 141 hp and 147 pounds-feet of torque. It is mated to a CVT with an Eco mode button. Nissan provided no estimates for its expected fuel economy ratings. The chassis features a multilink independent rear suspension.

Safety

Nissan is making its full suite of electronic safety aids available on the Sport, including a front collision system with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.

img1509999950 1483717102308 jpg img1535858538 1483717110430 jpg img1536782059 1483717111222 jpg img1537705580 1483717112639 jpg img1507229387 1483717099759 jpg img1509076429 1483717101584 jpg img1510923471 1483717103210 jpg img1511846992 1483717104609 jpg img1512770513 1483717107161 jpg img1513694034 1483717108256 jpg img1514617555 1483717108840 jpg img1534935017 1483717109598 jpg img1538629101 1483717113285 jpg img1539552622 1483717115158 jpg img1541399664 1483717118238 jpg img1542323185 1483717119211 jpg img1563564168 1483717120869 jpg img1540476143 1483717117551 jpg img1543246706 1483717120027 jpg img1565411210 1483717122415 jpg img1566334731 1483717123470 jpg img1509999950 1483717102308 jpg img1535858538 1483717110430 jpg img1536782059 1483717111222 jpg img1537705580 1483717112639 jpg img1507229387 1483717099759 jpg img1509076429 1483717101584 jpg img1510923471 1483717103210 jpg img1511846992 1483717104609 jpg img1512770513 1483717107161 jpg img1513694034 1483717108256 jpg img1514617555 1483717108840 jpg img1534935017 1483717109598 jpg img1538629101 1483717113285 jpg img1539552622 1483717115158 jpg img1541399664 1483717118238 jpg img1542323185 1483717119211 jpg img1563564168 1483717120869 jpg img1540476143 1483717117551 jpg img1543246706 1483717120027 jpg img1565411210 1483717122415 jpg img1566334731 1483717123470 jpg
Fred Meier
Former D.C. Bureau Chief Fred Meier, who lives every day with Washington gridlock, has an un-American love of small wagons and hatchbacks.
Email Fred Meier

Featured stories

202502 what are cheapest evs profile scaled jpg
toyota 4runner trd offroad 2025 42 exterior offroad front angle jpg
kia ev9 land 2024 07 exterior front winter scaled jpg