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2017 Nissan Sentra Price Starts From $16,990, Sentra SR Turbo From $21,990

The compact sedan segment isn’t as popular as it was before crossovers and SUVs took the sales crown. But then again, every automaker out there (except for Fiat Chrysler) hasn’t neglected this once great segment, not even the peeps at Nissan.
2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 20 photos
Photo: Nissan
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The Japanese automaker has lots of pedigree in this segment, especially when it comes down to the Sentra. Officially recognized as a compact since the B15 generation of 1999 – 2006, for the model year 2017, the Sentra got even better as being a compact sedan. It also got a little bit sportier.

Be it six-speed manual or Xtronic continuously variable transmission, the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo sits at the top of the range, priced from $21,990 sans the $835 destination and handling charge. The beating heart of the go-faster variant is a 1.6-liter force-fed mill with 188 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 177 lb-ft of torque available from 1,600 to 5,200 rpm. Compared to the rest of the range, the SR Turbo gets better suspension, steering, and brakes.

More to the point, spring rate has been increased by 10 percent, while damping is 25 percent harder at the front axle. The brake rotors, on the other hand, have grown from the standard 11-inch units to 11.7 inches, making for better stopping power. Also, the SR Turbo is gifted with sporty visual cues inside and out, plus lots of standard equipment.

Lower down the food chain, the 2017 Nissan Sentra is available in the following flavors: Sentra S 6MT ($16,990 plus $835 freight), Sentra S Xtronic ($17,990), Sentra SV ($18,790), Sentra SR ($19,990), and Sentra SL ($21,500). According to Nissan, the third best-selling model after the Altima and Rogue has added “nearly double the storage capacity in the front center console” and “improved interior quietness” due to thicker window glass.

Save for the SR Turbo, the rest of the model lineup continues to use the MRA8DE 1.8-liter naturally aspirated inline-four with 124 horsepower on tap. Depending on your point of view on engines, that’s either purist or behind the competition. Honda, for example, is pushing for turbocharging with the Civic. The Chevrolet Cruze, on the other hand, comes with a 1.4-liter turbo mill.

When all is said and done, the B17 generation of the Nissan Sentra can’t help but show its age. It’s an old car in a segment in which its main rivals have been reworked from the ground up. Hopefully for Nissan, the model year 2018 will bring forth the B18 Nissan Sentra to keep rivals on their toes.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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