Nissan announces new 2009 Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR

By Jeremy Korzeniewski

These days, many have seen their discretionary income fall faster than a ZR1's fuel gauge at full gallop. Recognizing this fact, Nissan has responded with a new iteration of the Sentra for 2009 called, rather cryptically, the FE+ 2.0 SR. On the surface, the new SR looks like the high-spec SE-R model – which itself has given up a bit of performance in the name of comfort and convenience over the last few years – with sporty front and rear fascias, a rear spoiler, smoked head- and tail-lamps and 16-inch alloy rims.

Despite its sporty appearance, this model's main purpose in life is to save on fuel bills. Under the hood lies the standard Sentra's 140-horsepower 2.0-liter four-banger, as opposed to the SE-R's enlarged 2.5-liter mill. When mated to the standard CVT transmission, Nissan is estimating that the SR will return 26 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway, which is a slight improvement over last year's 25/33 with the same powertrain combination.

The new SR will carry an MSRP of $17,760 (all prices plus $695 destination fee), which matches the price of the carry-over S model. Also available will be a base FE+ for $16,730, an up-level SL for $19,660 and the SE-R for $20,660. The top-rung SE-R Spec V will go for $21,160 and will be available solely with a 200-horsepower 2.5L mated to a manual transmission.