When seen from a bird's eye view, Nissan is actually managing its crossover portfolio quite well. At the entry-level, the Japanese automaker has the Kicks and, at the top, it has the Nissan Rogue. Nissan had the Juke to fill the gap in between, but the model was discontinued a couple of years back. Although it looked like the Kicks will have to manage two duties, Nissan quickly came up with a much better replacement for the Juke in the form of the Nissan Rogue Sport. The Rogue Sport was specially designed for the U.S. market and is not being sold anywhere else.

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport Exterior

The 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport looks quite different from the 2019 model but retains the core essence. The new mesh grille replicated the shape of the signature chrome collar, also known as the V-Motion grille, that surrounds the logo. The bumper is radically different and features quite a lot of changes. A thin strip of new daytime running LEDs find themselves in between LED headlights and the fog lamps. When viewed up front, the 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport looks smart and handsome.

The profile of the crossover is neat and proportionate. Nissan has offered the 2020 Rogue Sport with a new set of alloy wheels available in sizes up to 19 inches. The window sill rakes up sharply in the back, eating into the rear-quarter glass. The taillamps extend all the way to the side and gives Audi-esque vibes.

The derriere of the 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport has gotten a little sleeker. Although the taillight housing remains the same, their integration has been changed. The rest of the rear remains the same as the 2019 model. One thing that Nissan should have worked on is the loading lip. It still remains quite high, making it a little difficult to load in those heavy suitcases.

Despite my dislike for chrome, I must admit that Nissan has used it tastefully on the 2020 Rogue Sport. The Rogue Sport is offered in two new shades, Orange and Lime Green, apart from the ones carried over from the 2019 model. Nissan has used fancy names for the colors, but in simple words, the palette now includes

-* Black

-* White

-* Blue

-* Silver

-* Gun Metallic

-* Red

-* Orange

-* Lime Green

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport Interior

Nissan has literally left the cabin unchanged. The automaker did a fine job with the exterior, and it would have been nice if it had worked on the interior as well, especially in terms of space. If you are contemplating this instead of a sedan, you will be grossly disappointed with the space on offer. While the front remains fine, the rear is as good as a bigger SUV's third row. The seat is small, there is not much legroom or shoulder room, and it is best suited for kids. We have seen crossovers with similar dimensions and manage to offer better space all around the cabin. There is no other way to put this, but Nissan has done a shoddy job with the space in the back.

The all-black theme looks sexy but does make you feel claustrophobic. For the techheads, there is nothing much to offer. At a time when all automakers are moving towards making everything 'touch-friendly,' Nissan has decided to stick with buttons... and some more buttons. It feels cluttered from all angles; be it the flat-bottom steering wheel or the center console. Nissan offers a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system on all the three trims - S, SV, and SL. The system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. An upgraded version of the nine-speaker Bose audio system is available as an option.

It was available on the SV,and SL trims previously, but now it is standard even on the base S trim. It comes loaded with

-* Automated Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection

-* Automated Rear Braking

-* Lane-Departure Warning

-* Radar-Based Blind Spot Warning

-* Rear Cross-Traffic Alert

-* High Beam Assist

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport dimensions

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport Drivetrain

This is the most exciting and fun part of our reviews, but in this case, it is perhaps the most boring section. Nissan should consider renaming the crossover to 'Rogue Lousy', or 'Rogue Snorlax,' or something. To make things worse, Nissan has mated it to a continuously variable transmission. The infamous rubber-band effect of a conventional CVT is evident in the Rogue Sport; so don't even think about flooring the pedal. The CVT, mated to this lackluster engine, is best suited for urban commutes and leisure highway drives. Even the NVH levels are not that great as the sounds and vibrations will creep in at high speeds, constantly reminding that you are torturing this puny engine. If you want the punch and oomph factor, look elsewhere. If there is anything positive, it is the well-weighted steering wheel.

The ride and handling are not the best either. The suspension quivers over bad roads surprisingly well, but only if you are riding on the 17-inch wheels. Upgrading the wheel size will have an adverse effect on comfort. The engine can be availed with either front-wheel drive or an all-wheel-drive system. Towing capacity? Well, LOL. It does not have a towing capacity rating.

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport drivetrain specifications

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport Prices

The 2019 Nissan Rogue Sport came with a starting price tag of $22,500. Now that the automaker has added safety tech even to the base trim, we speculate it to start at $23,000.

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport Competition

Mazda CX-5

This entry might surprise you because the CX-3 is the segment rival for the Rogue Sport, and not the CX-5. But the Mazda CX-5 is a potent vehicle and a perfect alternative to the Nissan Rogue Sport. The CX-5 boasts a contemporary design that pleases all and offends none. The long hood, clean profile, and a simple yet elegant rear make the CX-5 a very smart crossover. On the inside, the CX-5 will spoil you in its top-tier trims. The seats are comfortable, although space is not aplenty. There are grainy plastic materials, strips of wood, and matte leather which reek of luxury. The seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, however, is not up to the mark. And, if Mazda wants to appeal it to the public, it will have to get rid of those extra buttons as well.

The Mazda CX-5 is offered with two engines - a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder unit that churns out 187 ponies and 186 pound-feet of torque or a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine that churns out 227 horses and 310 pound-feet of torque. The former is offered on the base trim in the front-wheel-drive configuration. Given that there is a price difference of just $1,500 between the Mazda CX-5 and the Nissan Rogue Sport, it makes more sense to go for the value-for-money CX-5.

Read our full review on the 2019 Mazda CX-5

Hyundai Kona

Let's move on from a simple, elegant competitor to an in-your-face body language rival - the Hyundai Kona. The Kona was launched a couple of years back, but it has made strides and has shown it to the world that it is more than just another funky crossover. For someone who likes to keep his or her car for at least seven to eight years, the Kona might not be the first preference. This car will surely get boring after a while, thanks to those bright colors and flashy design language. The Kona exaggerates every little body detail and just gets a little carried away. This crossover will definitely have polarizing opinions.

On the inside, however, it is a different story. The interior is rather sedate when compared to the exterior. The cabin is laid out well and is typical Hyundai. The neat instrument cluster, perfectly-sized steering wheel, color coded accents around the gear lever console, air conditioning vents, etc. makes the Kona a nice place to be in. The front seats are on the supportive side and are quite spacious too. But move to the back, and you will find yourself fighting with your co-passengers for space. It is not a very comfortable five-seater. The cargo area is average but has a wide loading lip and a low-load floor which makes things slightly convenient.

The feature list of the Kona is endless. The Kona is available in four trims - SE, SEL, Limited, and Ultimate - and each one offers a lot of equipment for the price paid. Except for the top-trim, all other trims are offered with a seven-inch infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Opt for the top-trim and Hyundai will give you features like

-* Eight-inch touchscreen system

-* 18-inch wheels

-* LED Taillights

-* Power Driver Seat

-* Head up Display

-* Navigation

-* Wireless Charging

-* Sunroof

The Hyundai Kona will be launched with an electric powertrain later this year, but for now, Hyundai offers it with two engine options - a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that churns out 147 horses and 132 pound-feet of torque or a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 175 ponies and 195 pound-feet of torque. The former engine is mated to a smooth six-speed automatic transmission, and the latter is offered with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Read our full review on the 2019 Hyundai Kona.

Conclusion

The 2020 Nissan Rogue looks smart, is neat on the inside, but is definitely not an enthusiast's car. The sole engine option lacks the pizzazz and is good only for lazy highway drives and urban runarounds. We recently saw the GMC going berserk with the Acadia facelift, offering a new engine, better equipment, and what not. Nissan sells more than 40,000 examples of the Rogue and Rogue sport per month, and it is high time that Nissan addressed the Rogue Sport's shortcomings and make improvements. The $20,000 - $30,000 price bracket is the trickiest one on the market today as you have hatchback, sedans, crossovers, small SUVs, luxury cars, and even entry-level trucks playing in the same range. It is very easy for a customer to get lured into a completely different segment altogether and cross-shop even if he does not intend to. If Nissan can plonk the Rogue Sport with a slightly more powerful engine and better rear space, it can give the rivals a run for their money.

Background

The Rogue Sport, unlike the funky Juke, caters to a more 'serious' market, and is here to talk business. It has more conventional, mass-appealing looks when compared to the funk-star it replaces. This toned down crossover is a lot more practical and also relieves the Kicks off its double duties and lets it focus solely on its own game. Nissan smartly prefixed it with the 'Rogue' moniker which allowed this new crossover to test the waters on the Rogue's goodwill and credibility. However, the Rogue Sport has been on its own ever since. While it may look like there is price overlapping and the Rogue Sport is eating into its elder brother's sales, Nissan wouldn't mind it as long as the customer remains in the same showroom.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport.

Read our full review on the 2018 Nissan Rogue.