When a sedan gets a major revamp the design takes the brunt of the criticism or praise, at least at first. Luckily for Nissan, the design of this all-new Sentra is among the best in the compact sedan’s 37-year history. It looks like a 7/8th-scale Altima or Maxima and wears those clothes well. The attractive styling might grab compact sedan buyers' attention first, but the work Nissan put into the mechanicals beneath the skin makes it rewarding on the road.
The Sentra is 2.2 inches lower, has a 2.4-inch wider track and is slightly longer than the old model. It’s only a bit heavier (158 pounds) and rides on a fresh platform shared with the Chinese-market Silvia. But the Sentra and Silvia couldn’t have more different missions. The Silvia uses a beam axle in the rear and is tuned, as one might imagine, to be as soft-riding as a 1980s Buick—exactly what Chinese buyers like. The U.S. and Mexican Sentras have a multilink rear suspension and are much more tautly calibrated.
A main goal for the engineering team was to increase the Sentra’s athleticism. According to Nissan Vehicle Program Development manager Stephen Soley, to get there the group spent around double the time it usually takes them to tune a car’s steering and suspension systems.
“We made close to a dozen trips to Angeles Crest Highway during development," he says. “We put a lot of the focus on handling and steering feel.”
Part of the reason they spent so much time tuning the steering was that this new-generation system gave them wider adjustability. He says there were simply more “knobs to turn” in terms of tuning. And he’s proud of the results.
“This new (Bosch) system really opened up some boundaries for us,” said Soley. “From a steering perspective, we went after the VW Golf because that car is recognized in the industry for excellent steering.”
Soley says creating the optimal front-to-rear suspension balance was critical to achieving the desired performance too and they ended up using the same steering and suspension calibration for every trim level. The only difference in terms of ride and handling nuances on the three Sentra trim levels (S, SV and SR) come from the tires. And these range from 16-inchers on the base S model up to 18-inchers on the top SR.
Sentra owners were vocal about wanting more muscle under the hood, so replacing the old 1.8-liter engine is a 2.0-liter generating 149 hp at 6,400 rpm and 146 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm, a 20 percent improvement in power and a 17 percent gain in torque compared to the outgoing model. Unfortunately, that engine only comes hitched to a CVT with a sport mode. Yep, the Sentra is the latest in a long line to ditch the manual transmission. If you want a Sentra with a manual, you have to slip across the border because only Mexican-market Sentras are built with three pedals.
Even base-level S models are well equipped. All come with Nissan’s Safety Shield 360, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning and 10 airbags. On a car starting less than $20,000, that’s a lot of safety tech.
The SV trim brings an 8-inch infotainment screen, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, intelligent cruise control and uses 205/50R17 tires. The top SR wears big 215/45R18 tires and has LED headlamps, a rear spoiler and an upgraded grill. Premium packages for both these top trims offer features like quilted leather heated power seats and Nissan’s intelligent around view monitor. The SR is the only model in the range where for $250, you can option a black roof with red, orange or white paint. And it looks great on the road.
The Execution
Slide into the Sentra’s front seats and the vibe is more sport sedan than economy sedan, in part due to the driving position. Engineers lowered the Sentra’s hip point to provide a ride that feels more well, like a car, not a sedan impersonating a crossover.
“The seating position of cars has been creeping up for years,” says Soley. “And customers told us, ‘If I’m going to buy a sedan I want it to feel like a sedan.’”
Both the $23,325 SV Premium and $25,325 SR Premium we spent the day driving seemed more expensive than their price would suggest. The dash design not only looks more upscale than the last Sentra but there’s soft touch finishes everywhere—even places the driver’s hand rarely touches. It’s a nice place to spend a morning commute. And the experience in the rear seats is good too. Legroom is identical to the outgoing car so we found plenty of space to get comfy, though compared to a Civic, it’s slightly less commodious. And rear seat occupants have soft furnishings too. The center armrest is as plush as a sofa cushion.
However, we only noticed one USB port for the backseat passengers—why not two? The Sentra’s slicker styling could be a reason why trunk space has been trimmed from 15.1 cu-ft. on the last car down to 14.3 cu-ft. in this new one. But honestly, we’d rather be wrapped in the Sentra’s new threads than have an extra foot for cargo.
Even on the streets of Santa Monica, California, the Sentra’s chassis is lively and yet still smooth enough to suck up potholes without jarring the passengers. The 2.0-liter is reasonably quick around town at part-throttle, but peg your foot to the firewall and the Sentra isn’t as zippy as some competition. Part of the reason could be the CVT. Even when that little anonymous sport button on the backside of the shifter is pressed, the CVT doesn’t always behave predictably when driving the car hard. On the freeway at 70 mph the engine loafs along at 1,800 rpm, or 2,500 in sport mode—so if fuel economy is a priority make sure to deselect sport.
Once you get the Sentra onto a curvy road, the car seems to enjoy being pushed. We had a chance to play on some favorite Malibu-canyon roads. And from Piuma road to Stunt road, the Sentra’s felt light on its tires and yes, even fun to drive. All that effort on the steering system paid off because it feels precise and the efforts build predictably. It’s easy to get into a quick, comfortable rhythm driving this car reasonably hard on a twisty road.
The Takeaway
After our drive, it became clear this all-new Sentra has serious potential to increase sales for Nissan in the compact class. But it has untapped potential too: The newfound chassis goodness is ripe for a performance model. Nissan would be nuts not to create a new and updated version of the outgoing 188 hp turbocharged Sentra Nismo model. Or better still, why not create an ode to Sentra high-performance history and build an SE-R? We’d be happy to park one in our own garage—as long as it’s a manual.
ON SALE: February 2020
BASE PRICE: $20,015 (S), $21,195 (SV), $22,355, $23,860 (SV Premium) $25,325 (SR Premium)
DRIVETRAIN: 2.0-liter I-4, FWD, CVT
OUTPUT: 149 hp @ 6,400 rpm, 146 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 3,047 lbs.
FUEL ECONOMY: 29 mpg (city) 39 mpg (highway)
Pros: Solid value, Athletic chassis, Upscale interior
Cons: No manual transmission, Could use a turbo option
