What Does SR Mean For Nissan Models?
Every automaker makes different styles of the same car for consumers, often including variations in performance, styling, and features. Mercedes, and its best models ever designed, have all had different trims identified by different letters or numbers. Its CLA Coupe comes in four different trims, from the base model to the AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+ Coupe, all with varying price tags. Nissan does the same thing with its cars.
Sedans like the Nissan Sentra come in different tiers; with S being the base model, SV as the middle tier, and SR being the premium trim. However, other Nissan models such as the Altima — one of the many models made in the U.S. — have more than three trims, and SR is merely one of the mid-level tiers. What sets the SR version of a car apart from other Nissans?
Though there's no official acronym or meaning behind it, the "SR" trim is considered sportier than other variants, and comes with a few premium features not found on lower tiers. Nissan currently offers an SR version of all of its sedans, as well as an SR version of the Kicks crossover. None of its trucks or any other vehicle it manufacturers has an SR version. The Sentra didn't have an SR trim until 2016, joining the Versa Note, Altima, and Maxima. Of course, if you want the sportiest car Nissan has to offer, there's always the GT-R, which the automaker is discontinuing in 2025.
What features come with SR models?
Naturally, a higher tier car will cost more. Depending on the model of Nissan, the price tag for an SR model can be as low as $20,000 (Nissan Versa SR) or as high as $43,000 (Nissan Maxima SR). Besides a different MSRP than other trims of the same model, the SR version of a car — depending on the model — comes with different sized wheels, maybe a spoiler, and optional LED headlights.
The 2024 Nissan Altima SR, for example, includes everything that comes with the SV premium package; plus 19-inch machine-finished aluminum allow wheels, paddle shifters with a manual shift mode, leather upholstery, and specially tuned suspension. Meanwhile, Nissan highlights the 16-inch steel wheels and cruise control for the base model of the same car. Not all SR versions come with leather upholstery. Anyone who gets their hands on the Kicks SR will get cloth seats with an orange accent. Again, it all depends on the car model.
Other trims Nissan has for sedans is the S variant (which is typically the base model), SV, then SR, and the top tier trim is typically SL. The Altima has the SR VC-Turbo that is a step up from the regular SR trim, and right below SL. The SR VC-Turbo has a 2.0-liter Variable Compression Turbo DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine, giving it a leg up on the regular SR version.