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2017 Nissan Rogue Sport - Young, Fit & Attractive - Review By Larry Nutson


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2017 Nissan Rogue Sport
Young, Fit & Attractive

By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor and Bureau Chief
Chicago Bureau
The Auto Channel

If you’re shopping for a new vehicle and not looking at SUVs you are in the minority. But, don’t worry. That’s not a bad thing.

America is currently in crazy love with SUVs. As a matter of fact, trucks (pickups, vans and SUVs) outsell cars month after month. The top-three most purchased vehicles each month are the full size pickups from Ford, Chevrolet/GMC and Ram.

Right behind them in fourth place is the Nissan Rogue, the leading seller in the largest volume segment. Now Nissan has a newer model, the Rogue Sport (USA) Qashqai (Canada) that they expect will bring in even more customers. The Rogue Sport is built on the same basic platform as the Rogue but it’s smaller by about a foot, weighs about 200-pounds less, and is priced lower.


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The all-new 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport compact SUV went on sale just a bit ago in early May. It’s a convenient size and loaded with features that, along with its base price of $21,420 should attract plenty of buyers. The top model is priced at $27,420.

The Rogue Sport has been on sale in Europe under the Qashqai name and its strong-points of compactness, easy maneuverability and functionality have proven its worth. The crowded urban centers of Europe have shown that the Rogue Sport is well suited for the same in the U.S. where more and more young folk are living in city centers.

I drove the new Nissan Rogue Sport around the countryside of Nissan USA’s Franklin, Tennessee headquarters as well as around the city streets of Nashville. There’s plenty of cabin room up front, controls are well placed and there’s good outward visibility. A convenient to use touch screen and voice recognition makes for convenience.


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The rear seat provides good room for another couple or your growing family and there’s adequate cargo room for that weekend getaway. The 5-passenger Rogue Sport has around 23 cu-ft. of cargo behind the second row and that opens up to a bit over 61 cu-ft. with the back seats folded.


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Rogue Sport offers the latest in driver-assistance safety features including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot alert, 360-degree cameras, automatic front emergency braking and pedestrian detection. We even tested the 360-degree by parking a Rogue Sport that had its windows covered and using only the display to steer into place.


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Under the hood is a 141-HP 2.0-liter engine mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). With its 200-pound weight reduction compared to the larger Rogue, the Rogue Sport performs well with this engine. Around city streets it’s just fine as well as out on the open highway. However, the engine does work a little hard on inclines or when more heavily loaded.

EPA test-cycle fuel economy ratings for the front-drive model are 28 mpg combined, with 25 mpg city and 32 highway. With all-wheel drive the ratings are 27 mpg combined, with 24 mpg city and 30 mpg highway.

Ride and handling are comfortable and the suspension is nicely compliant. Steering is electric power-assisted with a Sport setting.

Nissan did a good job with noise management keeping wind and tire noise to minimum.

If you were to plot all the attributes of the Rogue Sport in a spider-diagram, you’ll quickly see that is does a lot of things quite well. It may not be the leader in many attributes but the Rogue Sport is very well rounded and versatile.


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The Rogue Sport comes in S, SV and SL trim levels each available in front-wheel or all-wheel drive. More information including model details and specifications can be found at www.nissanusa.com.

Nissan continues its onslaught in their “Year of the Truck.” The Rogue Sport gives the American consumer an additional choice.

Michael Bunce, VP Product Planning, Nissan North America, Inc. said “he expects Rogue to continue to appeal to owners with young families, while Rogue Sport fills a need for singles and couples who want more space and versatility than the average sedan for everyday urban use and social activities.”

Lest you be confused, the Rogue is a bit more SUV-ish, is larger, can hold more, and has an optional third row. The Rogue Sport is more city-fied.

© 2017 Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy

This report comes from an invitation-only Nissan launch event that allowed special access to the vehicle and executives. Nissan provided my overnight accommodations, meals, and transportation.

LEARN MORE: In-Depth "Tell not Sell" Nissan Consumer Vehicle Research Information Anywhere!

2017 Nissan Rogue Sport Key Dimensions and Specifications

Specifications are based on the latest product information available at time of printing

Mechanical

Engine
Name MR20DD
Cam design DOHC
Orientation

Transverse

Cylinders / configuration 4-cylinder / inline
Block / head composition

Aluminum / aluminum

Displacement (liters)        

2.0 (1997 cc)

Horsepower 141 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque (lb-ft)

147 @ 4,400 rpm

Bore & stroke (mm)

84.0 x 90.1

Compression ratio (:1) 11.2
Spark plugs Platinum-tipped
Maximum engine speed 6,400 rpm
Valvetrain 4 valves per cylinder with Continuously Variable Timing Control System
Induction system Direct injection
Engine mounts 2 solid, 1 liquid-filled
Recommended fuel Regular unleaded
Emissions certification level Tier 3-Bin 70 / LEV3 ULEV70
Exhaust Single exit with pre and main mufflers, stainless steel

Electrical
Ignition system Electronic (direct)
Alternator 110A
Battery 12 volt

 

Transmission and Drive System AWD FWD
Drive configuration Front engine AWD Front engine FWD
Transmission type Xtronic with Eco Mode switch
Gear ratios (:1)
     Reverse
2.631 – 0.378
5.604:1
Final drive ratio (:1) 6.386:1
2-wheel or 4-wheel limited slip (ABLS) S
Hill Start Assist S

 

Brakes AWD FWD
   Front                                               Type
          Rotor size (diameter x thickness) (in.)
Vented disc
11.65 x 1.02
   Rear                                                Type
          Rotor size (diameter x thickness) (in.)
Vented disc
11.50 x 0.63
Electronic Brake force Distribution  (EBD) S
Brake Assist (BA) S
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
     Number of wheels/channels/sensors
S
4/4/4
G-sensor for AWD S -
Parking brake                                 Location Foot pedal

 

Steering S SV SL
Type Electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion
Power-assisted S (Vehicle-speed variable assist)
Overall ratio (:1) 17.6
Turns (lock-to-lock) 2.98
Turning diameter – curb-to-curb (feet) 36.9
Steering wheel Manual tilt S
Leather-wrapped steering wheel - O S
Heated steering wheel - O S
Audio switches S
Bluetooth® HFP switches S

 

Suspension
Front
     Stabilizer bar (23 mm)
Independent strut w/ coil springs
S
Rear
     Stabilizer bar (19.1 mm)
Independent multi-link
S
Twin-tube shocks S

 

Body / Chassis
Type Unibody
Materials (primary) Corrosion-resistant and high-strength steel

 

Exterior

Wheels & Tires S SV SL
6.5J x 16-inch steel wheels with covers S - -
7.0J x 17-inch aluminum-alloy O S -
7.0J x 19-inch aluminum-alloy - - S
Tires
     215/65R16 all-season S - -
     215/60R17 all-season O S -
     225/45R19 all-season - - S
Temporary spare tire    T145/90D16
Location: Under cargo area floor
S
Tire Pressure Monitoring System S (direct sensor type)
Easy Fill Tire Alert S

 

Exterior Features S SV SL
Outside mirrors
    Type      Body-color dual folding S
    Adjustment       Power S
     Heated - O S
Bumpers, front and rear
     Body-color
S
Front and rear door handles  Body color S
Grille – black with chrome accents S
Windshield     Green-tinted + UV cut S
Front door windows    Green-tinted + UV cut
Privacy glass Rear, 2nd row windows S
Wipers
     Front variable intermittent
     Rear liftgate glass – fixed w/rear wiper
     link and wash

S
S

Power Sliding Moonroof
     Power sliding glass (one-touch auto
      open/close with auto reverse)
- - O
Rear spoiler S
Roof rails   - S S
Roof rail capacity (pounds) 165

 

Lights S SV SL
Headlights
Type Halogen
          LED
Automatic on/off
Daytime Running Lights
High Beam Assist
S
-
-
S
-
S
-
S
S
-
S
O
S
S
O
     Front fog lights - O S
Center high-mounted stop light S
Outside mirror-mounted LED turn signals - S S
LED boomerang signature taillights S

 

Interior

Seating S SV SL
Capacity 5-passenger S
Materials    Cloth
Leather-appointed
S
-
S
-
-
S
Front seats     Type Bucket
Quick Comfort® heated driver and passenger front seats - O S
Driver’s seat          6-way manual adjustable
6-way power adjustable
Power lumbar support
S
-
-
-
S
S
-
S
S
Head restraint/headrest     S, height adjustable
Front passenger seat    4-way manual S
Driver and front passenger seatback pocket S
2nd row seat    60/40 split fold-down S

 

Audio, Navigation and Connectivity S SV SL
Head unit and speakers
AM/FM/CD w/ 4 speakers, USB/aux. input, satellite radio, Bluetooth®, smartphone connectivity, 5.0-inch display S - -
AM/FM/CD w/ 6 speakers, USB/aux. input, satellite radio, Bluetooth®, smartphone connectivity, 5.0-inch display - S -
NissanConnectSM with Navigation and Mobile Apps, 7.0-inch color touch-screen display, Nissan Voice Recognition for navigation and audio, SiriusXM® Travel Link® & Traffic (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separately) - O S
USB Connectivity (iPod® compatible) S
MP3 capability S
Radio Data System (RDS) S
Speed-Sensitive Volume control (SSV) S
Steering wheel audio controls S
Streaming Audio via Bluetooth® S
SiriusXM® Satellite Radio (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separately) S
Satellite radio antenna S
Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System S
NissanConnect with Mobile Apps

-

O

S

NissanConnect Services powered by SiriusXM® (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separaely)

-

O

S

 

Instrumentation
Fine Vision electroluminescent gauges S
Meters/Gauges
     Speedometer
     Tachometer
     Coolant temperature
     Fuel level


Analog
Analog
Digital
Digital

 

Comfort & Convenience Features S SV SL
12-volt outlet    Front center stack S
Assist grips                     Front – fixed
Rear – fixed
Rear liftgate - inside
2
2
1
Inside rearview mirror         Manual dimming S
Hands-free Text Messaging Assistant S
Siri Eyes® Free - O S
Around View® Monitor AVM) with Moving Object Detection (MOD) - O S
RearView Monitor S S  
Double map lights S
Driver’s and front passenger sunvisors w/vanity mirror S - -
Driver’s and front passenger sliding sunvisors w/illuminated vanity mirror - S S
Overhead console with sunglass holder S
Power windows S - -
Power windows – one-touch up/down driver’s side front with auto-reverse function - S S
Power door locks w/selective unlocking and anti-lockout feature, auto-locking system S
Cruise control w/steering wheel-mounted controls S
Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) - - O
Remote keyless entry system S
Front seat center console S
Cupholders (4) S
Bottleholders – doors (4) S
Air conditioning/heater – manual temperature control S - -
Dual-zone automatic temperature control (ATC) - S S
2nd row heating/air conditioning vents on center console S
Drive computer w/mpg, distance to empty, average speed, elapsed time, outside temp, TPMS with individual position monitoring S
Nissan Intelligent Key™ with Push Button Ignition - S S
Divide-N-Hide® Cargo System - S S
Cargo area tie-down hooks (4 floor-mount, 2 side-mounted) S
Cargo area courtesy light S
Cargo area carpeting S
Removable cargo cover S
Active Trace Control S
Active Engine Braking S
Active Ride Control S
Remote Engine Start1 - O S

 

Safety and Security

Passenger Restraint Systems
Nissan Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt sensors and occupant classification sensor S
Front seat mounted side-impact supplemental air bags S
Roof-mounted curtain side impact supplemental air bags with rollover sensor for front and rear-seat outboard occupant head protection S
Outboard seat belts

Front

3-point (ALR/ELR for passenger, ELR for driver)
3-point ALR/ELR

Rear
Center seat belts Rear 3-point ALR/ELR
Power window lockout button S
Child restraint upper tether anchors S
LATCH system S
Child safety rear door locks S
Passive Safety

Zone body construction with front and rear crumple zones

S

Energy-absorbing steering column
Hood buckling creases and safety stops
Body side reinforcements
Shift interlock system
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
Traction Control System (TCS)

 

 

Safety, Security and Driving Aids S SV SL

Tamper proof door lock key cylinder
Vehicle Security System (VSS)
Immobilizer

S
Forward Emergency Braking w/Pedestrian Detection - - O
Forward Emergency Braking (FEB) - O -
Blind Spot Warning (BSW) -   O
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) - - O
Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) - - O
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) - O O

Dimensions

Exterior (inches) AWD FWD
Wheelbase 104.2
Overall length 172.4
Overall width 72.3
Overall height 63.3 62.5
Track width FR: 62.4; RR: 62.2
Minimum ground clearance 7.4 7.4
Coefficient of (Cd) 0.33
Step-in height (front/rear) 17.1 / 17.8
Angle of approach (degrees) 17.3
Angle of departure (degrees) 28 .2
Breakover angle (degrees) 17.7

 

Interior (inches) Front 2nd row
Head room (w/out moonroof/ w/ moonroof) 39.6/38.8 38.3/38.5
Leg room 42.8 33.4
Hip room 53.4 46.9
Shoulder room 56.6 55.7

 

Weights AWD FWD
  S SV SL S SV SL
Curb (pounds) Front 1,991 2,004 2,022 1,949 1,960 1,980
Rear 1,349 1,376 1,393 1,276 1,305 1,320
Total 3,340 3,380 3,415 3,225 3,265 3,300
Weight dist. (%) F/R 60/40 59/41 59/41 60/40 60/40 60/40
GVWR (pounds) 4,455 4,340

 

Capacities
Fuel tank (gallons) 14.5
Engine oil (quarts) 4.0
Engine coolant (quarts) 7.6

 

Volume (cubic feet) S SV SL

Passenger compartment (w/o moonroof)

96.0

(w/ moonroof) 94.3
Cargo 

w/2nd row seat folded down

w/2nd row seat upright

61.1

53.3

53.3

22.9 19.9 19.9
Total

w/o moonroof

w / moonroof

118.9

115.9

115.9

- - 114.3

 

Projected Fuel Economy
(Actual mileage may vary)

AWD FWD
City/highway/combined 24/30/27 25/32/28
Classification Midsize SUV

 

Packages/Options S SV SL
S Appearance Package: 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, 215/60R17 all-season tires O - -
SV All-Weather Package: Quick Comfort® heated driver’s and front passengerseats, Remote Engine Start System with Intelligent Climate Control, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, fog lights, leather-wrapped shift knob, heated outside mirrors - O -
SV Premium Package: NissanConnect with Navigation, Mobile Apps and Services, Nissan Navigation System with voice guidance, 7.0-inch color touch screen display, Nissan Voice Recognition for navigation and audio, SiriusXM® Traffic, SiriusXM® Travel LinkÔ (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separately), NissanConnect Mobile Apps, NissanConnect Servcies Powered by SiriusXM; Around View® Monitor with Moving Object Detection (MOD), Blind Sport Warning (BSW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) - O (requires SV All-Weather Pkg.) -
SL Premium Package: Power Sliding Moonroof, LED low & high beam headlights with LED accents, Forward Emegency Braking (FEB), Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), High Beam Assistr (HBA) - - O
SL Platinum Package: Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Forward Emergency Braking (FEB) with Pedestrian Detection - - O

S – Standard  O – Option  A – Accessory

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