Just last year we were blessed with a NISMO Motorsports version of Nissan's Sentra compact sedan. The vehicle returns for 2018, with some new perks.

The 2018 model comes with 8 trim levels, ranging from the Sentra S six-speed manual priced at $16,990 to the NISMO Xtronic at $25,790. Each level has a manual option, and the prices don't include the $885 freight charge. Outside of the standard packages, the SR Midnight Edition Package introduced WTH last year's model.

Expect a number of upgrades to the 2018, including Automatic Emergency Braking on all but the manual-transmission and NISMO models; the RearView Monitor and five-inch color display with streaming audio and Siri Eyes-Free can be found on base S models; 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels are standard on the SV; dual-zone automatic climate control is included on SV models and higher; and radar cruise control is standard on SR 1.8L and SL models.

Wizzorbs and DooDads will only get you so far. In the end, the engine is what matters. The base engine option is a 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder with 130 horsepower and 128 foot-pounds of torque. This can be pushed higher with the appropriate package options.

This will be the first time NISMO (Nissan Motorsport) is applied to a mass-market Nissan sedan. Before this, the treatment was reserved for top-level performance vehicles, like the GT-R and 370Z sports cars.

I love the idea of owning a NISMO vehicle, so I'm glad to see such an idea isn't that far off.