We don't envy the hordes of product planners working in the auto world. America's concept of quality transportation seems to shift with the seasons, leaving analysts scrambling to anticipate amorphous market demands while automakers fill barely justifiable voids in their product line. If you need proof, look no further than the scorching hot CUV segment. Buyers have developed a seemingly unquenchable thirst for small, car-based high riders, and nearly every automaker sports at least one tall hatch in their lineup.

Nissan hopped on the small crossover train belately in…