Trunk space is about the same size as a Civic’s, smaller than the new Volkswagen Jetta’s and the Suzuki SX4’s. One thing I don’t understand, and which compromises the versatility of a four-door sedan, is the sacrifice of the split-folding seatback in favour of a V-shaped trunk brace, a structural reinforcement that looks like overkill to me. Thankfully, the base SE-R keeps the fold-down seatback.
The optional navigation system with 5-inch touch screen offers decent-looking graphics, a rearview camera, a USB port and reads its maps off an SD memory card. At $700, however, it’s the most affordable built-in navi we’ve seen so far; too bad you must also choose the $1,400 Sport Package to get it, which cancels out its affordability.
Under the hood of the Spec V resides a 16-valve, 2.5-litre four that’s also found in the Altima, the Rogue and the Frontier. The SE-R boasts 177 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque, while our 6-speed manual-equipped tester benefits from 200 horses and 180 pound-feet.
Zero to 100 km/h takes 7.1 seconds, which is quicker than the Civic Si and the Corolla XRS, a couple of tenths slower than a VW GTI. The numbers don’t tell the whole story, though.
While the 2.5 engine offers decent muscle, it just doesn’t feel right in the performance car the SE-R seeks to be. It isn’t as rev-happy as the Civic Si’s engine, and isn’t as gutsy at low RPMs as the GTI’s turbo four. The Spec V requires super unleaded, and at 100 km/h, it spins at 2,400 RPM.
With 177 pound-feet at just 2,000 revs, I’m starting to wonder if the Juke’s turbo engine would be a better fit for a sporty Sentra. Granted, the SE-R packs on a couple of hundred pounds more than Nissan’s bug-eyed crossover, and acceleration times could climb by a few tenths. Hey, you never know, maybe the next-gen SE-R could be turbocharged.
Our fuel economy average is 10.4 L/100 km; with a mix of city and highway driving, you could achieve a better result, although not substantially. It is, after all, a sporty car and should be driven that way.
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| Trunk space is about the same size as a Civic’s, smaller than the new Volkswagen Jetta’s and the Suzuki SX4’s. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
The optional navigation system with 5-inch touch screen offers decent-looking graphics, a rearview camera, a USB port and reads its maps off an SD memory card. At $700, however, it’s the most affordable built-in navi we’ve seen so far; too bad you must also choose the $1,400 Sport Package to get it, which cancels out its affordability.
Under the hood of the Spec V resides a 16-valve, 2.5-litre four that’s also found in the Altima, the Rogue and the Frontier. The SE-R boasts 177 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque, while our 6-speed manual-equipped tester benefits from 200 horses and 180 pound-feet.
Zero to 100 km/h takes 7.1 seconds, which is quicker than the Civic Si and the Corolla XRS, a couple of tenths slower than a VW GTI. The numbers don’t tell the whole story, though.
While the 2.5 engine offers decent muscle, it just doesn’t feel right in the performance car the SE-R seeks to be. It isn’t as rev-happy as the Civic Si’s engine, and isn’t as gutsy at low RPMs as the GTI’s turbo four. The Spec V requires super unleaded, and at 100 km/h, it spins at 2,400 RPM.
With 177 pound-feet at just 2,000 revs, I’m starting to wonder if the Juke’s turbo engine would be a better fit for a sporty Sentra. Granted, the SE-R packs on a couple of hundred pounds more than Nissan’s bug-eyed crossover, and acceleration times could climb by a few tenths. Hey, you never know, maybe the next-gen SE-R could be turbocharged.
Our fuel economy average is 10.4 L/100 km; with a mix of city and highway driving, you could achieve a better result, although not substantially. It is, after all, a sporty car and should be driven that way.
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| Zero to 100 km/h takes 7.1 seconds, quicker than a Civic Si, slower than a GTI. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |