We’re not exactly enamored of the current Nissan Sentra. It finished last in a recent five-car comparo, and its lackadaisical personality and poor handling are even more keenly felt by those who remember the performance-minded Sentra SE-R from back in the day. Nissan seems to be trying to address the situation, though, having rolled out the 2017 Sentra SR Turbo earlier this year and now announcing the 2017 Sentra NISMO. But is it enough to revitalize the Sentra, particularly since Nissan says pricing will start just above $25,000, right on top of one of our favorites in the affordable-performance class, the Volkswagen GTI?

The Sentra is the most mainstream Nissan to get the NISMO treatment, following the GT-R, the 370Z, and the Juke, but this particular makeover looks to be pretty modest. The Sentra NISMO utilizes the same 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as the SR Turbo, and it makes the same 188 horsepower at 5600 rpm and 177 lb-ft of torque at 1600 rpm. As in the SR Turbo, power is sent to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual transmission or an Xtronic continuously variable automatic with a manual mode for cycling through virtual gears.

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The NISMO’s aerodynamic enhancements include a “layered double wing” body kit that adds lower-body bits to the front, rear, and side; a rear spoiler; and a redesigned rear bumper. Together, Nissan says, this results in a 30 percent reduction in lift. Other modifications stiffen the structure, including a heavier-gauge cowl panel and reinforcements for the floor and the parcel shelf behind the rear seats.

Nissan engineers also went to work on the suspension, using monotube rear dampers and retuned front springs and struts. The NISMO and the SR Turbo share the same larger power-steering-assist motor and altered programming. The car’s ride height has been lowered by 0.4 inch, and it sits on 18-inch NISMO aluminum wheels wearing super-sticky 215/45R-18 Michelin Pilot Sport tires. Tucked behind those are 11.7-inch vented front discs and 11.5-inch solid rear discs.

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Visually, the NISMO is separated from the SR Turbo and other Sentra models by a redesigned front fascia, LED daytime running lights, a dark-chrome grille, dark-chrome door handles, black mirror caps, red accents along the body kit, and NISMO badges on the front and rear. The NISMO is available in four colors: Brilliant Silver, Gun Metallic, Super Black, and Aspen White. Inside, the traditional red-and-black NISMO theme brings red accents to the microsuede-and-leather-wrapped steering wheel, the push-button starter, the instrument cluster, the leather shift knob, and the carpets.

Lacking a power upgrade over the SR Turbo, and with the same torsion-bar rear suspension, it seems as if Nissan missed an opportunity to take the NISMO further. After all, the recently launched Hyundai Elantra Sport with which the Sentra will compete gets a more sophisticated independent rear suspension, not to mention 13 more horsepower from its turbo four of the same displacement. Maybe Nissan is waiting to add a NISMO RS, as is offered in the Juke. Considering that the 1.6-liter turbo already is borrowed from the Juke, it couldn’t be hard to port over the Juke NISMO RS’s hotter setup, with 215 horsepower and 210 lb-ft, to the Sentra. Nissan is mum on such a prospect, but an RS would make sense as well as finally give fans something closer to an authentic—if perhaps lower-fidelity—SE-R experience.

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