The Nissan Sentra isn't a car that delivers a punch. Its NISMO variant, the 2017 Nissan Sentra NISMO may but could it end up as one of the highly anticipated vehicles this year.

The 2017 Nissan Sentra NISMO. NISMO is an abbreviation of Nissan Motorsport International Limited and the in-house tuning, motorsports, and performance division of Japanese car manufacturer Nissan. NISMO specializes in sportscar racing. The latest Nissan Sentra gets an upgrade c/o of NISMO but seems to be not quite promising.

The Nissan Sentra NISMO was introduced as a concept car back in 2013 and made a favorable impression. The 2017 model sports the same look but with an updated nose. The Nissan Sentra line now has the 1.8-liter turbocharged I-4 engine with 188 horsepower and 177-pound foot of torque. The Nissan Sentra NISMO runs on the same engine as Nissan claims that it is perfectly balanced at 188 horsepower. It does, however, have a six-speed manual transmission in addition to a continuous variable automatic transmission.

One big difference of the 2017 Nissan Sentra NISMO from the Nissan Sentra are its uprated-NISMO-tuned suspension and 18-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport all-season tires. The Nissan Sentra NISMO's driving performance is firm and sporty. Steering has a big improvement and now has a quicker steering ratio. It's not an actual sports car but it's definitely sportier than the regular Nissan Sentra.

A zesty engine, sharper chassis, and well-tuned suspension are just some of the things make the Nissan Sentra NISMO impressive. However, its driving performance is nothing extraordinary. The engine does not even produce that sport car growl one would expect and seems to lag when below 2,000 rpm. The Nissan Sentra NISMO just doesn't live up to the name that is its suffix.

The new Nissan Sentra NISMO will be made available later this year. It is expected to retail at around US$25,000.

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