2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo Dashes IDx Dreams

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Nissan is filling in all the unfilled niches today.

The automaker unveiled a turbocharged variant of the sensible and unexciting Sentra today at the Miami International Auto Show, promising a performance version of a sedan known mostly for its value and grocery capacity.

In doing so, Nissan implies that a hotter NISMO version is around the corner, while closing the casket lid on the IDx concept once and for all.

The 2017 Sentra SR Turbo ditches the vanilla sedan’s 1.8-liter in favor of a turbocharged, direct-injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder borrowed from the Juke subcompact crossover. Making 188 horsepower and 177 pounds-feet of torque, the mill boosts the Sentra’s power by 50 percent. Transmission choices are a six-speed manual or a CVT with manual shift mode.

Also part of the package are 17-inch wheels, ventilated front brake discs, larger brake calipers, stiffer front springs, and increased damping front and rear.

Nissan’s newly muscular Sentra arrives just in time to compete with the looming Honda Civic Si and Hyundai Elantra Sport. Pricing hasn’t been announced.

There’s plenty of evidence that Nissan has an even hotter NISMO version in the works. Besides the Sentra NISMO Concept (unveiled at the 2013 L.A. Auto Show as a “performance study”), Car & Driver has snapped photos of a disguised Sentra sporting an aggressive front spoiler — something you won’t find on the SR Turbo.

Anyone holding out hope that Nissan’s rear-wheel-drive IDx concept would one day make it to production can consider their dreams completely and utterly dead. Last year, Nissan’s Pierre Loing, North American vice president of product planning, told TTAC that it wasn’t economically feasible for the automaker to build a new RWD niche product. He added that certain elements could find their way into an actual production model — perhaps a front-wheel-drive compact.

Well, you’re looking at it. The 2017 Sentra SR Turbo is the IDx you don’t want.

[Image: Nissan USA]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

More by Steph Willems

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 59 comments
  • Never_follow Never_follow on Sep 12, 2016

    Wait, does this mean that normal Sentras have NON-ventilated brakes? The last time I saw non-vented front disks was on a super baseline mk3 golf td...

  • Lutonmoore Lutonmoore on Sep 12, 2016

    From personal experience, I've owned two Frontier/Datsun trucks and sold them for a good price. 220K on the first, and 250K on the second. Never had a big failure, just normal stuff. In '06 I bought a new Dakota, saved a big $4K on various rebates. Which about covered the $4K I spent on a remanufactured trans. I have 205K on that Dodge now, looking at a new Frontier or Tacoma.

  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
  • Dave Holzman A design award for the Prius?!!! Yes, the Prius is a great looking car, but the visibility is terrible from what I've read, notably Consumer Reports. Bad visibility is a dangerous, and very annoying design flaw.
  • Wjtinfwb I've owned multiple Mustang's, none perfect, all an absolute riot. My '85 GT with a big Holley 4 barrel and factory tube header manifolds was a screaming deal in its day and loved to rev. I replaced it with an '88 5.0 Convertible and added a Supercharger. Speed for days, handling... present. Brakes, ummm. But I couldn't kill it and it embarrassed a lot of much more expensive machinery. A '13 Boss 302 in Gotta Have It Green was a subtle as a sledgehammer, open up the exhaust cut outs and every day was Days of Thunder. I miss them all. They've gotten too expensive and too plush, I think, wish they'd go back to a LX version, ditch all the digital crap, cloth interior and just the Handling package as an add on. Keep it under 40k and give todays kids an alternative to a Civic or WRX.
  • Jpolicke In a communist dictatorship, there isn't much export activity that the government isn't aware of. That being the case, if the PRC wanted to, they could cut the flow of fentanyl down to a trickle. Since that isn't happening, I therefore assume Xi Jinping doesn't want it cut. China needs to feel the consequences for knowingly poisoning other countries' citizens.
  • El scotto Oh, ye nattering nabobs of negativism! Think of countries like restaurants. Our neighbors to the north and south are almost as good and the service is fantastic. They're awfully close to being as good as the US. Oh the Europeans are interesting and quaint but you really only go there a few times a year. Gents, the US is simply the hottest restaurant in town. Have to stand in line to get in? Of course. Can you hand out bribes to get in quicker? Of course. Suppliers and employees? Only the best on a constant basis.Did I mention there is a dress code? We strictly enforce it. Don't like it? Suck it.
Next