The Littlest Rogue: The 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport SV FWD

The 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport.

There was a time, not too long ago, that the Rogue was the small Nissan crossover SUV.  Mission creep set in, as it inevitably does, and the Rogue grew larger and more expensive.  As SUV-heavy as the Nissan lineup is (Juke, Rogue, Pathfinder, Murano, Armada), the gap in size between the Rogue and the next-smallest, the Juke, is more like two gaps.  And, truth be told, despite its fun-to-drive factor, the Juke's somewhat cartoonish appearance turns off some potential buyers.

Nissan's solution is another, smaller Rogue, the Rogue Sport.

2017 Nissan Rogue Sport.

It takes a keen eye to tell the Rogue Sport from the Rogue without seeing them side-by-side.  The Rogue Sport's grille does not plunge as deeply to the front bumper as the Rogue's.   The Rogue Sport is about a foot shorter in length than the Rogue and five and a half inches shorter in height.  There is also half a liter less engine under the hood.  In the place of the Rogue's 2.5-liter, 170-horsepower four-cylinder is a 2.0-liter, 141-horsepower four.  EPA estimates, however, are identical at 25 city/32 highway.

Where you can tell the difference is in cargo space---the Rogue Sport provides nine cubic feet less than the Rogue---and in price.  A base Rogue starts at $24,800.  The Rogue Sport's entry point is $21,640.

The car we drove was the mid-level SV, with a base price of $23,020.  Standard equipment includes 17-inch aluminum wheels, all-season tires with a temporary spare, hill start assist, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, vehicle dynamic control, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, a vehicle security system, tire pressure monitoring, a six-way power driver's seat with power lumbar support, a 60/40 fold-down rear seat, dual-zone automatic temperature control, second-row air conditioning vents, cruise control, tilt/telescoping steering column, power door locks with auto-locking feature, power windows, a rear view monitor, a six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with Bluetooth, USB, SiriusXM Satellite Radio and Siri Eyes Free, the Divide-N-Hide cargo system, a cargo cover, Nissan Intelligent Key with pushbutton ignition, LED daytime running lights, auto-off halogen headlamps with LED signature, outside mirrors with LED turn signals and roof rails.

That is a lot of content for $23,020 and makes a strong value argument for the Rogue Sport SV.  The $3,050 jump to the top-of-the-line SL adds 19-inch wheels, navigation, an around-view monitor and NissanConnect services.

2017 Nissan Rogue Sport interior.

With options, our vehicle's as-tested price went above the base price of the SL, getting some of what the SL gives as standard equipment via the SV Premium Package, which includes NissanConnect, navigation, and the around-view monitor for $1,500.  Our Rogue Sport also had the SV All-Weather Package, which includes heated front seats, a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated outside mirrors, a leather-wrapped shift knob, remote engine start and fog lights for $920.  The only other option was carpeted floor mats, for $135.

With $960 destination charges, the as-tested price came to $26,535.  That is still a strong value.  The Rogue Sport seems like a winner, giving Nissan a strong competitor against Toyota's C-HR and Honda's HR-V .