The Nissan Rogue, a small, four-cylinder crossover selling for under $20,000 will appear in dealerships this month and go head-to-head with the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.

The RAV4 has a starting MSRP (including shipping) of $21,635 while the CR-V sells for $21,635.

Analysts predict that the CR-V will sell in excess of 200,000 units in 2007, which is an increase of some 42 percent from the previous year.

The RAV4 enjoys equally brisk movement with 101,618 units told for the year through the month of July. Toyota will move production of the RAV4 to the U.S. next year with plans to more aggressively compete against the CR-V.

Given these factors, the Nissan Rogue will face stiff competition. Built in Japan on the Nissan-Renault global C platform, the Rogue's length is 1.3 inches longer than that of the FAV4 and five inches longer than that of the CR-V.

The Rogue's available passenger and cargo volume comes in at slightly less than those of its competitors.

Specifications for the Nissan Rogue include a 2.5-liter engine (inline four) equipped with a continuously variable transmission as a standard feature. At present there are no plans to offer a six-cylinder engine as an option.