Nissan Teases Us With A Sports Saloon Normal People Can Buy

Nissan are investigating the small car performance genre, teasing us with this Sentra NISMO as a hint of what's to come.

The standard Sentra's 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine produces a paltry 130bhp, so the NISMO crew have binned it in favour of the turbocharged, intercooled four-cylinder from the Juke Nismo RS, bored out to 1.8-litres. It outputs more than 240bhp and 240lb/ft of torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential to get the power down, while handling is improved thanks to custom NISMO shocks and springs.

The exterior has had a going-over too. A lower front spoiler and oversized arch flares are designed to improve the aerodynamics, as are the rear diffuser and spoiler combination. Tucked into the diffuser are large dual exhaust tips. 19-inch RAYS alloys set off the aggressive look, hiding Brembo brakes nicked from the 370Z.

The Sentra NISMO might only be a concept right now, but Nissan are hinting that we could be getting a car like this at some point. However as the Sentra isn't currently sold in the UK, we'd be unlikely to see the resultant car on these shores. And that's a shame, as an affordable hot saloon would be mighty appealing.