Nissan Rogue Sport Review

The Nissan Rogue Sport is the new subcompact companion to Nissan's compact Rogue. Though the two share platforms, styling cues and interior parts, the Rogue Sport is a unique vehicle, with two rows of seats (as opposed to the Rogue's optional third row) and a smaller engine. The Rogue Sport is slightly larger than competing subcompact SUVs and offers more passenger space as a result.

The Rogue Sport is actually based on a European-market vehicle called the Qashqai, and the European heritage shows in the Nissan Rogue Sport's nicely trimmed interior and solid handling. Unfortunately, it also shows in the engine, which is smaller and less powerful than that of the Rogue.

Current Nissan Rogue Sport
Nissan sells the Rogue Sport in S, SV and SL trims. The S is an honest-to-goodness entry-level model, with steel wheels, a tiny screen for the stereo and a low price. The Nissan Rogue Sport SV is a more palatable prospect, with alloy wheels, push-button ignition, dual-zone climate control and other desirable features. The SL rounds out the lineup with leather and a host of features formerly relegated to luxury vehicles. Nissan offers advanced driver aids, including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning and intervention, but they are only offered on the top-of-the-line SL model.

The Nissan Rogue Sport shares its dashboard and many interior fittings with the Rogue, and that's a good thing: Materials quality is excellent, and the layout is sensible and easy to use. The Rogue Sport is slightly larger than other subcompact SUVs, which gives it an advantage in terms of interior room. Front and rear legroom are generous, though cargo space is about average.

All Nissan Rogue Sports are powered by a 2.0-liter engine that produces 141 horsepower and 147 pound-feet of torque. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is standard, and buyers can choose front- or all-wheel drive. Acceleration is unimpressive, and the droning CVT doesn't help matters. That's a shame because the Rogue Sport's handling is actually very good, even if the driving experience isn't the most engaging. With more power and some tweaks, this could be a very enjoyable crossover to drive.

You'd think that Nissan chose the smaller engine in the interest of gas mileage, but with EPA combined fuel economy estimates ranging from 27 to 28 mpg, the Nissan Rogue Sport is actually less fuel-efficient than the standard Rogue, a larger vehicle with a larger engine and EPA combined ratings of 27 to 29 mpg.

Read the most recent 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport review.

If you are looking for older years, visit our used Nissan Rogue Sport page.