The current generation Nissan Sentra is not exactly an exciting car. The 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine only produces 124 horsepower, making it a lame competitor to the new Honda Civic Turbo. For 2017, Nissan is finally giving the Sentra more power thanks to a new 1.6-liter direct-injection turbocharged engine. This new engine produces 188 horsepower, a 50% increase over the 1.8-liter. As with the current car, Nissan will use a CVT transmission, but there will also be a six-speed manual for enthusiasts. Nissan may finally have a fun, affordable car.

The new Sentra SR Turbo will join other Sentra trims including the S, SV, SR and SL. The SR Turbo comes with standard features like a power sliding glass moonroof and SR Turbo badging. There will only be one available option package for the SR Turbo which includes Blind Spot Monitoring, Cross Traffic Alert, leather seats and Bose Premium audio with eight speakers. On the exterior, SR models will have LED low beam projector headlights with LED accents and a rear spoiler with integrated LED brake lights. The car will also come with 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 205/50R17 all-season tires. On the inside, there is a 5.0-inch display with Siri Eyes Free Voice Recognition.

The new turbo Sentra will sit at the top of the lineup, but pricing has not been announced yet. We expect the Sentra to compete against the recently revealed, turbocharged Hyundai Elantra Sport, but that car will have 200 horsepower. Giving the Sentra a turbo is a step in the right direction, but Nissan should go for a 200-plus horsepower Nismo version if it really wants to capture the enthusiast market.

You can check out the price of Nissan Sentra.