A step forward in a crowded field
When it comes to power and driveability, Nissan is moving quickly in the right direction
Don’t let the fancy name fool you: The 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo isn’t the sport compact you’ve been waiting for.
Yes, it comes packing a turbocharged engine under its hood, making the SR Turbo among the most powerful Sentras ever built; and yes, it boasts a revised suspension setup aimed at enhancing the car’s otherwise uninspiring driving characteristics. But those hoping this new turbocharged Sentra is the successor to the SE-R Spec V model of more than a decade ago be forewarned; it’s not. However, that doesn’t mean the SR Turbo isn’t an improved entry in a crowded segment, and it is at least a step in the right direction for one of the most underwhelming small sedans on the market.
Change from within
With a mid-cycle refresh introduced on the Sentra for 2016, virtually all of the changes to the SR Turbo are beneath the sheet metal. And foremost among them is the addition of a longawaited turbocharged engine. Taken from the Nissan Juke, the 1.6-litre is the first forced-induction engine to power Nissan’s compact sedan, joining the naturally aspirated 1.8-litre found in the rest of the Sentra lineup. Compared to that engine, which makes a paltry 130 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque, the turbo puts out 50 per cent more horsepower and 41 per cent more torque for totals of 188 and 177, respectively, and slightly more than the 174 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque made by the 1.5-litre turbo available in the Honda Civic. Unlike that engine, however, the Nissan recommends premium fuel in the Sentra’s turbocharged power plant, a mystifying proposi- tion in a compact car.
Mated to the four-cylinder are a pair of available gearboxes — a sixspeed manual and continuously variable automatic — also borrowed from the Juke, while the Sentra’s suspension setup has been overhauled to suit the SR Turbo, with front springs that are 10-per-cent stiffer, along with shock damping rates that have been increased 23 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively, front and rear.
Sport-ish compact
A short drive on the winding roads that surround Lake Oconee, about 90 minutes from downtown Atlanta, provided ample time to quickly conclude that this is no rival to the pend- ing Honda Civic Si, let alone the Volkswagen Golf GTI or either of Ford’s ST hatches. While its driving characteristics have been vastly improved over the rest of the Sentra pack, the SR Turbo seems better suited to chasing down sport utilities than sport compacts.
The turbocharged engine is what the Sentra has been missing for years, but expectations of a torquehappy pocket rocket should be tempered. It certainly provides the additional power the Sentra so desperately needed, something that is immediately noticeable when entering the highway or passing slower traffic, but the SR Turbo feels big and heavy when pushed despite the healthy serving of torque.
Having only spent time with a manual-equipped car on the short drive east of Atlanta, the six-speed gearbox proved a welcome driving companion but far from perfect, with long throws and tight gates that make it easy to skip a gear or downshift unexpectedly. Likewise, the clutch is light and dead, offering little resistance when searching for the sweet spot.
Once rolling, the SR Turbo’s new suspension and steering help liven the drive relative to non-turbo Sentra models, the car willing to play along as the corners beckon. The suspension is stiff, and stiffer than it needs to be, but it helps keep the car poised through turns despite the propensity for understeer, particularly in decreasing-radius corners.
Big and basic
Where the Sentra really shines is in its roomy cabin, a tradition that continues in the SR Turbo. Headroom measures 1,001 millimetres and 932 mm fore and aft, while legroom comes in at 1,080 mm and 950 mm, respectively. It also boasts a respectable 428 litres trunk, putting it amongst the segment leaders when it comes to cargo space.
While big, the interior, at least without the premium pack along for the ride, does feel a bit disappointing, with a heavy dose of plastic holding it down. Likewise, the standard infotainment system does without a touchscreen, a growing norm in the segment, and feels outdated. Adding the premium package is worth the price of admission (estimated at $2,700), and includes leather seats, a power sunroof, eight-speaker Bose audio system and a 5.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, as well as blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Unfortunately, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility aren’t part of the infotainment package, at least for the foreseeable future.
The verdict: 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo review
A sport compact it is not, the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo is missing the attitude and aggressiveness necessary to be considered a reincarnation of the vaunted Sentra SE-R Spec V. The SR Turbo is, however, a massive step forward for the Sentra when it comes to power and driveability.