Nissan breaks a few rules that define the hot hatch market. First, its Sentra isn’t a hatchback. It has a proper trunk. Second, the Sentra is available only as a four-door sedan. No two-doors. Lastly, Nissan’s product team hails the company’s Xtronic continuously variable transmission as a viable replacement for a conventional manual gearbox in a sports car. Is this automotive sacrilege on the order of the Porsche Cayenne, or just harmless marketing hype? One day at the track answers nearly all the important questions, and during our time at Homestead Miami Speedway, we were feeling pretty quizzical.

During our pre-drive product briefing, Nissan positioned the SE-R (above) as a dual-purpose machine—one that delivers equal parts practicality and performance. This blend, Nissan believes, matches the needs of twenty-somethings who require a practical car but desire one with more personality than a toaster. The appliance aspects of motoring are addressed by the Sentra’s ninety-four-cubic-foot, four-door interior and thirteen-cubic-foot trunk. The personality comes from the equipment added by the SE-R and Spec V packages.

Beginning with the base SE-R, the package gains some respect courtesy of its 2.5-liter engine sourced from the larger Nissan Altima. The 177-horsepower engine is biased toward usable torque, delivering 172 pound-feet at only 2800 rpm. We estimate the SE-R hits 60 miles per hour solidly in the sevens, a good second quicker than Sentras with the base 2.0-liter, 140-horsepower engine. The 2.5-liter is smooth, benefiting from twin balance shafts, and is matched to the equally smooth CVT. Adding a performance feel are shift paddles mounted to the steering wheel. These instigate shifts between predetermined ratios, enabling the technically ratio-less CVT to feel like a conventional gearbox.

SE-R brakes are four-wheel discs with ABS, a significant improvement over the Sentra’s disc/drum setup. The variable-flow mechanical dampers are another important upgrade. They were pioneered by Nissan and are already in use on several Infiniti models. These markedly improve the SE-R’s on-track handling without impairing its ride smoothness on the street.

Nissan’s product planners understand the market, and thus know that their SE-R is outgunned in horsepower. They also know genuine enthusiasts shift their own gears, hence the SE-R with Spec V package, which adds more of everything. The 2.5-liter gets high-lift, longer-duration cams, a beefier crank and rods, plus other features that boost output to 200 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 180 pound-feet of torque at 5200 rpm. With a 10.5:1 compression ratio, this engine drinks only premium fuel.

In the running gear department, the Spec V gets larger front discs (12.6 inches versus 11.7 inches), stiffer springs that drop the ride height about half an inch, re-valved dampers, a thicker front sway bar, body reinforcements around the cowl, and a chassis V-brace (visible when you open the trunk). And recognizing that a CVT can’t match the driver control provided by a manual gearbox, Nissan mandates a competent six-speed manual for the Spec V.

So how do the cars drive? The SE-R goes pretty well. Using the CVT’s manual mode gives you the ability to “downshift” while diving toward an apex, as if you were controlling a direct-shift gearbox in a Formula 1 car. The paddles make the process more fun, even if it is rather video game-ish.

Truly useful, the SE-R’s brakes hauled the car down for every corner of Homestead’s road course. Lap after lap, they never faded or went soft. Understeer is prevalent, but unlike many front-drivers this car rotates once in a corner, especially when prompted by closing the throttle. While happy to motor around Homestead all day long, the SE-R gets boring after a few laps because you begin yearning for sharper turn-in, more grip, and lots more horsepower. However, most drivers won’t acutely miss these characteristics on the street, where the SE-R will realistically spend most of its life.

The Spec V (below) provides much more of what the regular SER doesn’t. Its summer-compound P225/45WR-17 tires, lower ride height, and stiffer chassis sharpen the handling, and the extra 23 horsepower are as welcome as the cogs you pick yourself. Our tester’s optional limited-slip differential further improved the feel through the electrically boosted steering box.

Among the most important questions we had coming to the track—whether Nissan’s two flavors of SE-R were good enough to compete with other low-buck performers such as the Honda Civic Si, Volkswagen GTI, Mini Cooper, and Mazdaspeed3—were answered. They can. However, neither is the ultimate pocket rocket. Both lack the outright performance, style, and feel to gain that temporary crown. But with a starting price under $20,000 for each, the SE-Rs stand out as grown-up, sporty sedans that would be easy to live with over the long haul.