2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R Preview

Nissan Sentra SE-R – 2008 Preview: The 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R is the latest performance version of the Sentra, continuing a line that started in 1991. It will be available in the standard SE-R and a more potent Spec V. Both will retail for around $20,000, and are targeted at enthusiast drivers who maybe like the Sentra’s mini-Maxima styling, but are put off by the base car’s soft ride and underachieving handling. The SE-R will be available with a 177-horsepower engine and CVT transmission with paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. The Spec V ups the power to an even 200 hp, and comes only with a six-speed manual transmission. Both boast improved handling over the rest of the Sentra line, with the Spec V getting additional tuning on Germany’s famed Nurburgring race track.

Why it Matters

The Sentra SE-R does battle with an array of tough competitors from around the globe in a hotly contested market. It will immediately appeal to a pre-existing group of loyal Nissan enthusiasts, who will certainly snap up the first examples that become available. Winning over the competition may be more difficult. While the Spec V comes to the table with a solid performance package, including a limited slip differential, special gauges and other interior and handling improvements, it doesn’t out-spec any of its competitors by a great margin, and it’s still wrapped in the Sentra’s sensible-shoes styling. Even Nissan’s “200 horsepower for $20,000” is nothing to crow about, as the Civic Si is virtually the same for the same price, and it’s likely the upcoming 300-horsepower Dodge Caliber SRT4 will at be in the same ballpark.

What’s Under the Hood

The 2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R front wheels are powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing. In the standard SE-R, this engine produces 177 horsepower and 172 lb-ft of torque at 2800 rpm. This version of the engine is connected to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that the driver can control with paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. The Spec V offers a higher compression ratio, stronger rods, a different camshaft profile and other refinements to up the power to an even 200 horses. Torque increases to 180 lb-ft at a much higher 5200 rpm. The Spec V comes only with a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission.

What it Looks Like

The 2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R improves on the standard Sentra’s styling with a revised nose and tail, different wheels and tires, and other visual distinctions like headlights, taillights and fog lights. However, like the previous model, the new SE-R can’t quite overcome the dowdiness of the base car. It’s a stubby compact, with short overhangs and a tall greenhouse that looks especially frumpy when compared to the sleek Civic Si sedan or the smooth European styling of the Volkswagen GTI. It’s not exactly ugly, and in yellow it’s certainly eye-grabbing, but it doesn’t make us drool, either.

What’s Inside

The standard Sentra’s interior is not its strongest point, with lots of hard plastic and uncomfortable styling. The 2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R improves on it with a unique gauge package, black fabric, sport seats and other amenities like an optional 340-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo. But like the exterior, the improvements can’t do enough to overcome the interior’s basic shortcomings, such as a lack of nook-and-cranny storage space.

What Nissan Says

Available in two models, SE-R and SE-R Spec-V, Nissan hopes that it remains an edgy performance leader in the Sentra lineup. The SE-R faces stiff competition from the Civic Si sedan, the excellent Volkswagen GTI five-door and the upcoming Dodge Caliber SRT4. The 2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R and Spec V will go on sale in March 2007.

What We Think

One of our primary complaints about the standard Sentra is that it lacks any kind of pizzazz, and this lack of thrill is wrapped in an uninspired body and saddled with a less than perfect interior. The Sentra SE-R and Spec V will most certainly improve the driving characteristics of the Sentra, and we look forward to running it through its paces when it becomes available. But whether it’s enough to make us ignore the rest of the car’s shortcomings remains to be seen.

Photos courtesy of Ron Perry, Nissan