Although it turned out that the Nissan Sentra SR is an all show and no go model, the Japanese automaker hopes to change that with the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo. It's clear that the 2017 Sentra has a new turbocharged engine. The new model made its world debut at the 46th annual Miami International Auto Show. Sentra is Nissan's third best selling vehicle in the United States with sales up 11.2 percent this year (through August). The new Sentra SR Turbo is expected to help keep the sales momentum going by expanding its market reach.
As we already know, the 2017 Sentra SR Turbo shares the majority of the same components with the regular SR variant, but features a new 1.6-liter direct injection gasoline turbocharged inline-four motor. The engine raises power to 188 hp and 177 pound-feet of torque that is up from 130 hp and 128 pound-feet of torque from models with the regular 1.8-liter inline-four and Xtronic gearbox. The engine can be matched to a six-speed manual transmission, which was previously only offered on the base S model, or the Xtronic unit. We guess that the six-speed manual transmission should be the clear choice among enthusiasts, as it has been tuned to maximize the motor's powerband and torque curve. The Xtronic transmission is a bespoke unit for the Sentra SR Turbo that has also been tuned to bring out the best in the new engine with a wider gear ratio, smaller pulleys, and a sub-planetary gear.
The Sentra SR Turbo benefits from upgraded suspension including unique front and rear dampers, as well as enhancements to the independent strut front/rear torsion beam suspension. Like the normal SR, the SR Turbo is fitted with 17-inch wheels, a rear spoiler, LED headlights, and sport seats. An optional Premium Package adds leather seats, navigation, premium sound system, and added safety tech including a blind spot monitoring system. The pricing for the 2017 Nissan SR Turbo has not been published, but it should be more than the $21,245 base price of the Sentra SR.
