Was the Nissan Rogue Truly America's Best-Selling SUV/Crossover* in June 2017? We'll Never Know

Timothy Cain
by Timothy Cain

Nissan reported 34,349 U.S. sales of the Rogue in June 2017, a 17-percent year-over-year increase that drove the Rogue to its third monthly victory in America’s SUV/crossover sales race this year.

But June was the first time since March in which the Rogue — sales of which have now increased in eight consecutive months — topped the utility vehicle segment.

What propelled the Nissan back into the top spot after a two-month hiatus?

Another Rogue. Mysteriously missing from Nissan’s June sales report, despite six weeks of sales activity, was the Nissan Rogue Sport, known in other markets as the Nissan Qashqai.

Disappointingly, for the purposes of U.S. sales reports, Nissan is combining sales of the Rogue and new Rogue Sport. Thus, we’re left to wonder whether the Rogue, on its own, was America’s best-selling SUV/crossover in June or if the Rogue requires an asterisk alongside its position in the victor’s column.

Hopefully public pressure means we won’t have to wait for long. Yet for the time being, Nissan’s mind seems to be made up.

“Rogue and Rogue Sport are reported under the Rogue nameplate and we don’t break those numbers out respectively,” Nissan senior manager for corporate communications, Josh Clifton, told TTAC this morning.

It’s not terribly surprising to see Nissan make this decision against sales transparency, as this sort of methodology isn’t uncommon. Indeed, Nissan says it’s “consistent with industry and Nissan practice.”

Ford, GM, and Ram throw all their full-size truck sales into one pot under banners such as “F-Series.”

Mercedes-Benz’s monthly sales report includes the Sprinter and Metris under the Vans header.

Hyundai links the Santa Fe Sport and Santa Fe.

BMW used to join the 3 Series and 4 Series, although that seemed sensible given the fact that those cars used to operate solely as the 3 Series.

Nissan isn’t entirely lacking justification, either. The Rogue and Rogue Sport aren’t wholly dissimilar. Both ride on Nissan’s CMF platform and the Rogue Sport does look an awful lot like a Rogue that stayed in the dryer for a few extra minutes.

Though similar in appearance, Nissan doesn’t expect the Rogue Sport to cannibalize Rogue sales. “We expect the Rogue Sport to deliver incremental gains, as buyers should be different than traditional Rogue shoppers,” Clifton says.

Nevertheless, greater transparency would have lent greater credence to Nissan’s sales victory if, in fact, the Rogue does end 2017 as America’s top-selling utility vehicle, breaking Honda’s five-year CR-V streak. Not since 2005, when the Chevrolet TrailBlazer claimed the crown, has anything other than a Honda or Ford been America’s most popular utility vehicle.

Through the first six months of 2017, Nissan has reported 195,689 total Rogue sales, 8,433 more sales than the Honda CR-V has produced. It doesn’t hurt that the Rogue is a daily rental fleet favorite, but even with Nissan’s appetite for fleet sales, there’s no denying the Rogue’s retail popularity. Even if 20 percent of Rogues don’t end up with individual buyers, the Rogue would still rank amongst the five best-selling utility vehicles in America.

But of the 34,349 Rogues sold in America in 2017, how many were actually Rogues,, rather than Rogue Sports?

Based on Canadian trends, which don’t necessarily reflect real U.S. outcomes, we would guess around 15 percent of the Rogues sold in the U.S. in June were actually Rogue Sports. Nissan Canada reported 814 Qashqai sales in June to go along with 4,450 Rogues. That ratio would translate to roughly 5,300 Rogue Sports and 29,000 Rogues in June, dropping the Rogue from top spot among SUVs/crossovers to third, well behind the Toyota RAV4 and slightly back of the Chevrolet Equinox. Maybe. Perhaps.

In Canada, the Rogue was the third-best-selling utility vehicle in June 2017. Had Nissan Canada chosen to combine the Rogue and Qashqai, however, the Rogue would have, as it did in the U.S., shot up to the top spot.

Nissan would not confirm the accuracy of this ratio in the U.S.

[Images: Nissan]

Timothy Cain is a contributing analyst at The Truth About Cars and Autofocus.ca and the founder and former editor of GoodCarBadCar.net. Follow on Twitter @timcaincars.

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  • Big Al from Oz Big Al from Oz on Jul 05, 2017

    Yup, what about those who confuse F Series with F150? I do believe there should be some real consideration into the classification of motor vehicles. Even calling a CUV a truck is really nonsense, or for that matter a SUV and in many cases a pickup, when their payload in some instances is comparable to a Toyota Corolla. Maybe all vehicle classification should be re-considered. If the pickup manufacturers can get away with it why not car manufacturers. It's data and it is spun so the dedicated spooner's, like Ford supporters (or any other brand) believe they have the bestest, mostest, biggerer, fasterer, etc'est'er vehicle, because advertising is true and transparent. The reality is if one looks at Nissan they are just spanking the monkey and making drain babies, like the pickup manufacturers (and supporters) do. I suppose if you want to feel good about a Rogue you bought because more people buy them, then go out and be a sheeple.

    • TonyJZX TonyJZX on Jul 06, 2017

      In Australia and UK and I beleive the EU, the Rogue = Xtrail. The Rogue Sport is the Qashkai or Dualis. I really prefer the name "Dualis" but to cut to tin tacks, its a 2.0 litre PFI subcompact CUV that has an optional mickey mouse 4wd system. It really is only wide enough for 4 people and good luck with the smaller luggage area. By my criteria, a car should be able to ferry two people from the airport with two people meeting and maybe 2 to 4 roller bags. The Dualis barely meets this criteria. Worse still, I believe the Dualis pricing touches on the base pricing of the Xtrail. The Xtrail has up to 7 seats and is a fairly comfortable 5 person car. It does have decent room and the luggage area will probably swallow 4 full size roller bags without an issue. The car is not new tech. It runs a 2.5 PFI four that isnt that economical but isnt bad. The CVT has been around for 5 yrs plus but is solid. It does this on a ~1.5 ton chassis. I'm a fan of this car simply because its a winner in its class. Its not slow, its not too big, its practical enough. It also gives you a lot of tech for the money inc. keyless entry push start and the surround camera and now active braking with optional lane assist blindspot and other nonsense. I dont want to like it but its quietly competant. Downsides is that it drives like a giant fwd golf cart with all electric steering and the isolation that you get from a modern car. A comparable Mazda CX5 or even Koreans is a lot more here.

  • Quaquaqua Quaquaqua on Jul 06, 2017

    Combining Rogue/Rogue Sport sales and selling upwards of 25% of these things to rental agencies is apparently the secret to making a successful product. Just ignore the sloppy handling and the woefully dated powertrain. It's what Carlos wants.

  • Ronin It's one thing to stay tried and true to loyal past customers; you'll ensure a stream of revenue from your installed base- maybe every several years or so.It's another to attract net-new customers, who are dazzled by so many other attractive offerings that have more cargo capacity than that high-floored 4-Runner bed, and are not so scrunched in scrunchy front seats.Like with the FJ Cruiser: don't bother to update it, thereby saving money while explaining customers like it that way, all the way into oblivion. Not recognizing some customers like to actually have right rear visibility in their SUVs.
  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
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