2017 Nissan Rogue Sport: Nissan's Rogue crossover SUV family gains a new member
Cars
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With the popularity of crossover SUVs at an all time high it's a little wonder that automakers rolling out new ones of all shapes and sizes.
The most visible is the uptake in small crossovers with entries like the Honda HRV, Toyota CHR, and Mazda CX3 all recently coming to market.
Joining that list now is this the 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport.
The Rouge Sport spots below the regular Rogue in the line up being a foot shorter in length for a more compact vehicle better suited to navigate tighter urban environments.
So it's an in betweener which may help it provide just the right amount of space to carry passengers and cargo with 22.9 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats.
There's a lot of grip around corners on this SL model 19 inch tires, while ride quality over bumps is good and the cabin stays nice and quiet from both road and wind noise.
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Steering is weighty while responding reasonably well to inputs, while the brakes are nice and grabby.
Power from the 2 liter 141 horsepower, 4 cylinder MCDT transmission, is on par with competitors in the segment.
Which means, pulling off passes and merging onto the expressway requires a heavy right foot.
For fuel economy, all wheel drive models get 24 miles per gallon in the city, and 30 miles per gallon on the highway.
While the bigger Rogue gets 25 miles per gallon in the city, and 32 miles per gallon Out on the highway.
Nissan says that's because the smaller engine has to work harder to move the Rogue Sport around, which is about 200 pounds lighter than the bigger Rogue.
In addition, the Rogue Sport is to import a sportier feel, meaning engine mapping and stickier tires are here to effect fuel economy.
As for tech, the Nissan connect infotainment system is standard, with a seven inch touch screen, navigation, voice recognition, satellite radio, and a bird's eye camera.
Sadly, Apple Car Play and Android auto capabilities aren't available.
Safety features like automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, and radar cruise control are available as options.
The Rogue Sport hits dealers on May 11 with base prices ranging from $22, 380 for a front-wheel drive S model to $28,380 for an all-wheel drive SL version.
I have to say it's a compelling crossover that looks good.
It's sized right, it's comfortable, and handles and rides very well.
If you're in the market for a smallish crossover, the Rogue Sport is definitely worth a look.
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