LOS ANGELES, California — Ten minutes. That’s how long we have to render a verdict on the new 2017 Nissan Sentra NISMO — barely enough time to catch up on Twitter, let alone substantively evaluate a car’s strengths and weaknesses. Yet, we’re determined to find out whether or not adding a NISMO badge to a Sentra SR Turbo is worth an extra couple thousand dollars.
The entire NISMO package essentially amounts to a body kit and NISMO badging. The engine calibration, output specs, chassis, and most of the suspension settings are taken from the Sentra SR Turbo, making for a near identical driving experience. Rolling through the heart of downtown Los Angeles, the Sentra’s electric power steering is vague, loading up at unpredictable times, and there’s a noticeable delay between steering inputs and when the chassis reacts. Then there’s the lackluster engine. Floor the accelerator in first gear, and the skinny front tires light up for a second, but then, lots of lag; the tiny 1.6-liter I-4’s turbocharger feels oversized for this application. At 4,500 rpm, you finally start to feel some horsepower, but the feeling quickly ends when you have to shift up at 7,000 rpm. The NISMO’s interior doesn’t feel more special than a base model Sentra’s. The red-striped steering wheel looks cheap, and the heavily bolstered seats don’t contour to your body enough and are positioned far too high.
Ultimately, the problem is that this car doesn’t go far enough. Nissan should have made the 2017 Sentra NISMO a real alternative to the Volkswagen GTI or Honda Civic Si. Instead it put a body kit on an economy car and is using the once-sainted NISMO name to lure in buyers who care more about style than substance.
2017 Nissan Sentra NISMO Specifications
| On Sale: | First Quarter 2017 |
| Price: | $25,000 (est) |
| Engine: | 1.6L Turbo DOHC 16-valve Inline-four/188 hp @ 5,600 rpm, 177 lb-ft @ 1,600-5,200 rpm |
| Transmission: | 6-speed manual |
| Layout: | 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine FWD sedan |
| EPA Mileage: | N/A |
| L x W x H: | 183.6 x 69.3 x 58.9 in |
| Wheelbase: | 106.3 in |
| Weight: | 3,037 lb |
| 0-60 MPH: | N/A |
| Top Speed: | N/A |
The post Quick Take: 2017 Nissan Sentra NISMO appeared first on Automobile Magazine.
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