Half a dozen years ago, Nissan really helped to kick-start the current wave of subcompact SUVs that are taking an ever larger share of the American market. The Nissan Juke is no longer the top seller in the segment, but it demonstrated that Americans did have a taste for small utility vehicles even if it is a bit odd looking. For 2017, Nissan is taking a fresh stab at the segment but this time it's aiming directly at the heart of the market with the new Rogue Sport.
If the Rogue Sport looks familiar, that's no coincidence for a couple of reasons. While it's new to our shores, this small utility isn't actually all-new. It's been available in most of the rest of the world as the Qashqai since 2006 and the current generation launched three years ago. Branding it here as the Rogue Sport makes perfect sense since it looks just like a Rogue that has gone through too many dryer cycles. Given that the Rogue was Nissan's most popular nameplate here in 2016 with nearly 330,000 sales trading off that name shouldn't hurt the new model's chances.
Also on Forbes:
While the Sport looks very much like its larger sibling, it's a full foot shorter. However, unlike the Juke which has a nearly unusable back seat, the Rogue Sport is 10-inches longer overall and has 5-inches more wheelbase. The new Nissan is also slightly larger than some of the current segment leaders like the Honda HR-V, Chevrolet Trax and Jeep Renegade so it should prove to be very usable for a pair of couples or millenials looking to haul a bunch of lifestyle gear.
For now at least, the Rogue Sport is only offered with one powertrain option, a 2.0-liter direct-injected four-cylinder paired with one of Nissan's ubiquitous XTronic continuously variable transmissions. The 141-horsepower and 147 lb.-ft. should be more than adequate for most drivers but getting the 188-hp 1.6-liter turbo from the Juke would be an appreciated option for a vehicle with a sport suffix on its nameplate.
Initially, there will be three trim levels S, SV and SL riding on 16, 17 and 19-inch alloy wheels. The usual strut layout can be found at the front with a multi-link setup at the rear axle. Drivers looking for added traction can opt for all-wheel-drive as an alternative to the standard all-wheel-drive.
Active safety features available on the Rogue Sport include Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Forward Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Departure Prevention, and Forward Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection.
The 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport goes on sale this spring. The Juke which is much more a niche vehicle stays in the lineup for the time being, but it appears increasingly unlikely that it will get replaced at the end of its lifecycle.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/samabuelsamid/2017/01/09/nissan-goes-for-a-more-conventional-small-suv-with-the-2017-rogue-sport/
2017-01-09T05:01:00+00:00