Basic, simple, good enough
The Nissan Rogue Sport is a simple vehicle in complex crossover times. It’s easy to get in and out of, easy to operate, easy to use the technology and easy to get along with in a simple yet unexciting way.
That is not a bad thing. Consumers wary of all the newfangled advanced driver assistance systems, wary of the touch screens and multimedia systems, suffering from information overload, will be pleased with the basic simplicity of the Rogue Sport. It doesn’t stand out in any way, but simple can be good enough.
The Sport is a smaller version of the Nissan Rogue — the best-selling vehicle that is not a truck through the first half of 2018.
It is more nimble while turning but still has the higher position of a crossover, just not as high as the Rogue. There’s not as much roll, and getting in and out of tight urban areas will be easier. Parking is considerably easier.
Accelerating, not so easy. The 141-horsepower four-cylinder engine launches more like a train than anything sporty. It’s not quick at speed, either, and pushing the pedal through the floor at on ramps won’t overtake much of anything except, yeah, a train.
So “Sport” in this sense means smaller, and the handling advantages that come with it, especially in the tester’s AWD. We didn’t test it in any weather other than a light fall rain, and it responded capably and competently enough.
Power is distributed to all four wheels through an improved continuously variable transmission. Nissan has been pushing the CVT for a while now and has overcome the old complaints that the engine just drones on and on as drivers expect a gear shift. The Xtronic CVT mimics gear shifts to minimize the droning of not using stepped gear shifts. During the first drive, I wasn’t sure it was a CVT until I floored it and the RPM gradually climbed without “shifting” until I let off the gas. Around town it’s smooth and unnoticeable, and overall the CVT is meant to improve efficiency.
The charm of the Sport resides in its uncluttered cabin and above-average cargo space. Rear seats are tight, but that goes with the territory. Passengers above 6 feet will want out; kids will be fine. We stacked two hockey bags in the cargo area with rear seats up, but it was a crowded, stinky ride — the stink attributable to the other “sports” in the Sport.
Even in leather-appointed top SL trim, the climate controls are basic, the multimedia display is basic, the tuning and volume knobs are basic. I say this with praise because so many car shoppers want something simple to use instead of the icon and button cluster-chaos presented by automakers.
The 7-inch color touch screen is clear enough, though the on-screen navigation buttons are narrow and tedious compared with more advanced systems. There is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and there is only one USB port (though two more can be installed).
The market is overrun with small crossovers, so the Sport doesn’t stand out in any particular way — few of the small crossovers do. But its basic simplicity is welcomed.