Compare the2022 Kia NiroVS 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Niro has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Rogue Sport doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Niro and the Rogue Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Niro is safer than the Nissan Rogue Sport:

	Niro	Rogue Sport
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	139	399
Neck Injury Risk	27%	33.7%
Neck Stress	291 lbs.	349 lbs.
Neck Compression	37 lbs.	106 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	74/269 lbs.	266/278 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Niro is safer than the Nissan Rogue Sport:

	Niro	Rogue Sport
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	342 lbs.	408 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	170	211
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	14 inches
HIC	214	326
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	45 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Niro is 2.2% to 3.8% less likely to roll over than the Rogue Sport.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Niro the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 214 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Rogue Sport has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Niro comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Rogue Sport’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Rogue Sport. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Rogue Sport ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

Engine

The Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 147) than the Rogue Sport’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Niro is faster than the Nissan Rogue Sport:

	Niro	Rogue Sport
Zero to 60 MPH	8.9 sec	9.8 sec
Quarter Mile	16.8 sec	17.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	83 MPH	80.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Niro gets better mileage than the Rogue Sport:

			MPG
Niro
	FWD	LX 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/48 hwy
		LXS/EX 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	51 city/46 hwy
		Touring 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	46 city/40 hwy
Rogue Sport
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/30 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Niro’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Rogue Sport doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Niro’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Rogue Sport doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Niro higher (7 out of 10) than the Nissan Rogue Sport (5). This means the Niro produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Rogue Sport every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Niro stops much shorter than the Rogue Sport:

	Niro	Rogue Sport
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	137 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Niro has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Rogue Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro’s wheelbase is 2.1 inches longer than on the Rogue Sport (106.3 inches vs. 104.2 inches).

The Niro Touring SE handles at .82 G’s, while the Rogue Sport SL 4x4 pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Niro Touring SE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.3 seconds quicker than the Rogue Sport SL 4x4 (27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Niro’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Rogue Sport’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.9 feet).

Chassis

The design of the Kia Niro amounts to more than styling. The Niro has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Rogue Sport (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Niro get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The Niro has 4.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rogue Sport (100.9 vs. 96).

The Niro has .5 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 4 inches more rear legroom and 1.4 inches more rear hip room than the Rogue Sport.

The front step up height for the Niro is 1.6 inches lower than the Rogue Sport (15.5” vs. 17.1”). The Niro’s rear step up height is 1.6 inches lower than the Rogue Sport’s (16.2” vs. 17.8”).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Niro easier. The Niro’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Rogue Sport’s liftover is 30.2 inches.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Niro and the Rogue Sport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Niro is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Rogue Sport prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Niro’s standard front power windows open with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Rogue Sport’s front passenger window doesn’t open automatically. The Niro EX Premium’s front power windows open fully with one touch of the switches, and its driver’s window also automatically closes.

The Niro’s power window, power lock and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Rogue Sport’s power window (except driver window) switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

When the Niro with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Rogue Sport’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Niro EX Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Rogue Sport doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Niro has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Rogue Sport SV/SL.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Niro Touring SE/EX Premium has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Rogue Sport doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Niro and the Nissan Rogue Sport, based on reliability, safety and performance.