First Drive: 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo

[Drew Dowdell]

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Nissan’s compact Sentra has been on the market for 35 years. For 2017, Nissan is improving the SR trim which adds a 188 horsepower, turbo-charged direct injection engine.  The Sentra’s place in the market is that of a value leader. While it is roughly the size of competitors like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, the Sentra is priced against their smaller siblings the Fit and Yaris iA (nee Scion iA).  Starting at $21,990, the value equation translates into the SR trim as well.

The primary change for the Sentra SR is under the hood.  In place of the standard 1.8 liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder, Nissan has fitted the 1.6 liter direct injected turbo. This engine, originally installed in the Nissan Juke crossover, produces 188 hp at 5,600 rpm and 177 lb-ft of torque from 1,600 rpm – 5,200 rpm. This translates to an increase of 65 horsepower over the standard Sentra and 52 more lb-ft over a broader RPM range. Customers can select either a 6-speed manual or a retuned version of Nissan’s Continuously Variable Transmission with no change in cost.  Further enhancements include a retuned suspension and larger brakes.

Changes inside the Sentra SR are minimal, however a premium package will be offered that adds leather seats, Bose audio system, blind spot warning, cross traffic warning, and auto-dimming rearview mirror.

We recently took the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo CVT for a spin. Check out page 2 for more.

 

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While the Sentra SR is not a dedicated sport model like a Ford Fiesta ST or Subaru WRX, it does have more energy than others in the sedate  small sedan segment. In normal driving, the thick torque band allows the Sentra’s CVT to accelerate smartly without needing to wake the engine up.  Acceleration under full throttle is impressive by economy car standards as the car pulls hard throughout the RPM band, but the CVT does the Sentra no favors in terms of engine sound.   That said, in all cases, the 1.6T is a much more refined sounding engine than the base 1.8 liter unit in non-SR Sentras.

On the dash, there is a sport mode button that changes where the CVT holds the engine rpm in standard driving. This keeps the engine more "at ready" than normal, roughly the equivalent of downshifting in a manual transmission car.  Don’t leave it in sport mode for too long or you will start to feel it at the gas pump.  Next to the sport mode button is an Eco mode button.  Don’t press this one; it takes all of the energy out of the car. Throttle and transmission response are so lethargic that I found the car to be unacceptably slow to respond to throttle inputs.

Handling is improved over the base Sentra and the SR model can actually be pretty fun to whip around corners. The leather seats up front are easy to get comfortable in, but they lack the side bolstering to really make this a sports sedan. 

The 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo fills an interesting niche.  It has more power, verve, and premium features than most of the competition’s standard models for not much more cash, yet it isn’t the hardcore sports car like the higher priced Subaru WRX or Ford Focus ST.  It’s a niche that has largely been abandoned by the industry, so maybe Nissan can fill it.

Nissan provided the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo during a meeting of the Mid-West Automotive Media Association that author attended.

 

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[cp-the-nerd]

Well with the refresh it's at least a decent looking little blob of a compact, but I still vastly prefer the Focus, Cruze, and Civic. That dash design and steering wheel leave a LOT to be desired.

[Drew Dowdell]

13 minutes ago, cp-the-nerd said:

Well with the refresh it's at least a decent looking little blob of a compact, but I still vastly prefer the Focus, Cruze, and Civic. That dash design and steering wheel leave a LOT to be desired.

Overall I agree with you, however this is faster than all of the non-sport models. This is a car for someone who wants some satisfying pull without stepping up in price to a WRX or Focus ST.

[G. David Felt]

Cool, very nice to hear. My wife had a sentra when we married, the only time I have ever owned a non american car. It was a solid little eco box for commuting to work every day.

Over all love to see the big bump in engine numbers, but still not thrilled by these high HP and Low Torque numbers on a turbo motor. 

Bet Sentra could easily beat this if it had a proper current EV powertrain.

[Drew Dowdell]

177 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm is excellent for a 1.6t in a box this size/weight/price

[ocnblu]

Just to clarify, the SR trim has been out for a few years... for 2017, Nissan is adding some bite with the turbo engine.  If it were available in a hatch (not the Juke) it would be on my list of candidates.

[Drew Dowdell]

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Just to clarify, the SR trim has been out for a few years... for 2017, Nissan is adding some bite with the turbo engine.  If it were available in a hatch (not the Juke) it would be on my list of candidates.

Edited for clarity.

[regfootball]

Juke with this engine was a big time fuel guzzler.

[Stew]

Seems to vbe a decent improvement and even makes the styling somewhat palatable.  Would really love to see a comparison of this, the Elantra Sport, Mazda 3S with the 2.5, Jetta 1.8T and the Civic 1.5T (all manuals please). 

[A Horse With No Name]

On 10/10/2016 at 3:40 PM, Stew said:

Seems to vbe a decent improvement and even makes the styling somewhat palatable.  Would really love to see a comparison of this, the Elantra Sport, Mazda 3S with the 2.5, Jetta 1.8T and the Civic 1.5T (all manuals please). 

Mazda is much nicer, as is the Civic.

[Stew]

On 6/15/2017 at 4:51 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

Mazda is much nicer, as is the Civic.

Seen some testing of it and it is pretty bad.  The Nissan is, no surprisingly, the worst in this segment. 

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, Stew said:

Seen some testing of it and it is pretty bad.  The Nissan is, no surprisingly, the worst in this segment. 

It would not be a car I would choose.

[Frisky Dingo]

I distinctly remember these cars from my short stint at Nissan, and I hate the Sentra. It's so cheap and lame. I felt bad any time someone wanted to look at one. 

The SR Turbo and NISMO are jokes. Somehow, they're better with the CVT than the manual. 

[A Horse With No Name]

11 minutes ago, Frisky Dingo said:

I distinctly remember these cars from my short stint at Nissan, and I hate the Sentra. It's so cheap and lame. I felt bad any time someone wanted to look at one. 

The SR Turbo and NISMO are jokes. Somehow, they're better with the CVT than the manual. 

I have a friend from College who has never gotten married and her life has not worked out the best in some ways....she drives a Sentra...I weep a little bit every time I even look at a picture of her car...

Edited June 21, 2017 by A Horse With No Name

[Frisky Dingo]

Lol.