The All-new 2020 Nissan Sentra Achieves Greatness with Style and Grace

On the strength of its beautiful and quiet interior, chiseled exterior, excellent value, and a 360 degree safety approach, Sentra has become the best main stream compact available today.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – December 16, 2019

2020 Nissan Sentra


The all-new more aggressive face for an all-new value and artistic motivated buyer.​

Santa Monica, CA -- With each passing year, OEMs scramble to design and release a new vehicle based on a new platform or with the addition of new features that target a segments best in an attempt to one-up its competitors. As the cadenced rollout of a new model is executed, competitors take notice on what to change, add, or redesign on their own offerings to match or in fact, leapfrog said competitor(s) in order to sell more of their vehicles – read make more profit. In the case of the Compact segment, Honda’s Civic and Toyota’s Corolla are the standard bearers and are ripe for the targeting.

In late 2015, the all-new 10th gen Civic was released with great fanfare with the most dramatic angular redesign of any Civic ever built.

In early 2016, an all-new 6th gen Elantra was introduced with infotainment features that exceeded luxury offerings at multiples times its price.

In late 2018, an all-new 12th gen Corolla was revealed based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) providing the best ride and handling Corolla in history. With the Hybrids introduction, it is easily the most efficient compact sedan we have ever driven.

Which brings us to the latest all-new compact sedan to reach dealership showrooms. Meet the all-new 2020 Nissan Sentra.

There are only 3 available trims, the S, SV, and SR. I am going to concentrate on the middle trim SV with the Premium pkg. because if you were in search of a world class compact sedan, this is the one you should target for your own.

2020 Nissan Sentra Trims and Pricing

• S - $19,090 USD
• SV - $20,270 USD
• SR - $21,430 USD

D&H adds $925 to the purchase price.

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S trim features 7” display audio w/ type A USB, 4.2” meter display, Push button start, Multi-link rear suspension, Active Ride and Intelligent Trace Control, Rear Door Alert, and Forward Collision Warning

SV adds 16” Alloys, Heated Exterior Mirrors w/ Turn Signal Indicators, Leather wrapped wheel, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay via floating 8” central touchscreen, 7” meter display, 6-speaker audio, (1 type A, 1 type C & 1 charge USB port(s)), Nissan Intelligent Key, Dual Zone Auto-climate, Radar Stop and Go Cruise Control, Remote Engine Start & Security System.

SR adds 18” Alloys, LED headlights with signature LED fogs, Rear spoiler, Exhaust finisher, Leather shift knob, Heated Black Exterior mirrors, SR sport interior with orange seat trim.

SV Premium pkg. (+$2,460): Thin LED high & low beam headlamps, Powered Moonroof, 8-way power driver seat (lift + lumbar), 17" alloys, Quilted leather seats, Leather shift knob, and Heated front seats.

SR Premium pkg. (+$2,170): Thin LED high & low beam headlamps, Powered Moonroof, 8-way power driver seat (lift + lumbar), 18" alloys, Bose audio (8 speakers + amp), PrimaTex seats w/orange stitching, Heated front seats and wheel, Intelligent Around View Monitor, Auto dimming rearview, and Illuminated vanity mirrors.

Do not ask me why the SR Premium Pkg. costs less but adds more?

The all-new 2020 Nissan Sentra reveal from the floor of the LA Auto Show almost a month ago showed us some exciting aspects to this new entrant. Namely a more powerful wider and lower stance with dual deeply creased feature lines on each side of the hood, thin LED lamps that dare you to get in its way, and the brands signature design V-Motion grille that is shorter proportioned and better matched to the Sentra’s front end than what the all-new Altima was released with.

Of all the major market sedans available today, from the front, the Sentra is definitely a looker! When is the last time you could say that about Sentra?

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The profile includes a floating roof with blacked out A-, B-, and C-Pillars and a chrome strip underpinning the day light opening (DLO). Multiple character lines with a front sweep from the LED headlamps disappears into the front door panel and a rear line off the top of the rear lamps disappears into the rear door panel. Definitely unique and even a bit sexy. Pronounced wheel arches and a deep rocker panel cutout provides shadow where none was before. Moving towards the rear, a new cutout that separates the profile from the rear as an aero tab but with more than just a functional purpose was added. Again, enough edge to provide a double take but not as gaudy as the “other” guy. You know which other one I am talking about.

Moving out back is where the design falls a little flat. A broader, flatter V-Motion cutout is incorporated into the rear trunk edge and a lower faux carbon fiber like look lower fascia appear to be afterthoughts.

All-told, it is still the best-looking Sentra and dare I say one of the best looking main stream compacts available today.

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Moving indoors, this all-new Sentra would easily fit within the showroom of any luxury European or Japanese luxury brand but without the pretentious price tag attached.

There is one and only one trim you should even consider, the SV, and taking that with the one and only upgrade “Premium” package is what distinguishes the Sentra from its peers.

Before sitting in the quilted leather seats, notice the perforated leather thigh bolsters and contrasting leather color edges with dual contrasting stitching. With the beige seats, the contrast plus quality look and feel simple are unmatched in this segment. Now that you are in those seats, they feel made for someone of my stature. Supportive without impinging into my lower or upper back, or along my thighs. Breaking the 106.3” wheelbase with an additional .5” over its rivals, the Sentra offers 1.5” more front seat legroom than its predecessor. In other words, if you are 6’3” tall, you can still find a comfortable seating position vs let us say the Toyota offering… The soft yet thick feel of the D-Shaped leather wrapped wheel is like a worn leather glove that just fits and the wheel control switches do not flop around in their housing and are tactile.

Moving your hands around the rest of the interior, you feel a lot of soft touch high quality material. From the inserts and double stitched armrests to the dash with the same including a faux carbon fiber like trim around the instrument hood edge is a step above what I am used to in this segment. More along the lines of an Infiniti or Lexus than any Nissan I have ever been in. The satin aluminum door handles, window lift control edges, and shift level surrounds is again something to behold and it simply looks and feels right. To your left and far right are angled standard vents while front and center, Mercedes-Benz or as Nissan would say, GT-R inspired round vents stand out. This all culminates with a floating 8” central display with Android Auto and Apple Car Play that integrates very well into the overall interior design. The only misstep I found is a foot operated parking brake placement which feels like a throwback to the 80s.

New sound deadening treatments in the floor, windows and doors make it a more relaxing experience than its predecessor. Especially when the previous gen was wound up to get it to move.

A stunning compact interior design in no uncertain terms.​

All-in, this is the most graceful interior experience you are going to find in a main stream compact offering no matter how far up the option list you go on any of its competitors.

Onto the chassis, the all-new 8th gen Sentra has moved beyond the previous gens wobbly torsion beam with an all-new multi-link out back. It holds better, rides better, and is the right suspension underneath given the rest of the segment has already moved there. To bring the Sentra SV an SR trims to a stop, 11” and 10.2” discs front and rear perform that work without much fuss.

A speed-sensitive dual pinion EPS provides decent road feel while being light to the touch at parking lot speeds.

There are also some Mazda”esque” like pitch, yaw, and roll controls built into the chassis and drivetrain. Active Ride Control, Intelligent Trace, and Vehicle Dynamics controls work with the brakes, chassis, and engine output to reduce undulations in all three axes for a more predictive to the limits control while expanding those limits in case of an emergency avoidance maneuver that you would not normally be able to recover from. This is some pretty slick $**t to put it bluntly.

If there is an averaging out of this great offering, it is with the drivetrain. The 149 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque 2.0L I4 mated to a wide ratio CVT – Nissan did not disclose the actual spread - is significantly more powerful than its predecessor but is not going to win any races to the next light. In our world, that means little anyway. What does matter however is the efficiency. While the 29/39/33 mpgUS city/highway/combined rating is an improvement over the previous gens 29/37/32 mpgUS city/highway/combined rating, it misses the Elantra/Civic contingent by enough of a margin that I wish Nissan could have spent another year improving its highway range capabilities. The D-mode step shift that simulates shifting works fine but longevity is still a question mark. The lightweight Nissan compacts and sub-compacts did not experience issues like the CUVs did so maybe this new mill will drive the updated CVT for hundreds of thousands of miles without complaint or worry. Time will tell.

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The interior is comfortable and first rate and buries its opponents, the ride and handling will go up against any of its competitors, the price just plain bests the rest, and its included convenience feature are the latest and greatest. Another area where this all-new 2020 Sentra stands out is it safety. Unlike competitors that you have to option up or cannot even buy at any price a 360-degree collision avoidance and protection package, the Sentra offers it std. from the S trim to the SR standard.

2020 Nissan Sentra Safety Shield 360

Providing that full 360 degrees of protection, six advanced driver-assist systems include Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Automatic Braking. Did I mention this was all standard on all trims? Some of this equipment has to be purchased in $27k+ trims and packages from the other guys if it is available at all!!!

In addition, the 2020 Sentra arrives with, 10 air bags including dual fronts, dual front knees, dual front sides, dual side curtains, and following on GMs old lead, honest to goodness rear seat sides! Driver and Rear Door Alerts are also standard.

The 2020 Sentra's interior from the other side. This will be an award winner.​

Something else nobody offers at the SV trims price point. the SV includes Radar CC standard.

SOB, when the all-new Sentra exterior, interior, safety, and convenience design teams went to work, they were not taking second fiddle to anybody.

To put the competitors on notice, consider the following metrics.

A mid-trim Nissan Sentra SV with the premium pkg. offering quilted leather, heated seats, power moonroof, and LEDs for $22,705 trounces its competitors in the following ways.

• 2020 Hyundai Elantra Limited - $22,800 (lacks FCW, 8” display, powered moonroof, LEDs, rear discs, RCC, and rear seat side airbags)
• 2020 Honda Civic EX-L - $24,900 (lacks RCTA and LEDs, and rear seat side airbags)
• 2020 Toyota Corolla XLE - $23,950 (lacks BSM and RCTA, heated front seats, dual auto climate, rear seat side airbags, Android Auto, and a useable infotainment system)

The best V-Motion implementation I have seen from Nissan to date.​

Like sand through an hourglass, there's no turning back time and thus the all-new 8th Gen Sentra was revealed. With outstanding design features, it will have competitors scrambling on what they have to do to keep their own redesigns competitive with what I now consider one of the segments best. Nice job Nissan. Now get back to work on that drivetrain for the efficiency minded among us.

#AllNewNissanSentra

 

Hi All:

A friend replied to my 2002 Nissan Sentra FB post with the following:

He is right and it is too bad as vehicles like the all-new Sentra are better than their CUV counterparts.

Wayne

 

Hi All:

The upcoming 2020 Nissan Sentra now has a landing page on Nissan's consumer site.

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The link is embedded within the pic.

Wayne

#AllNewNissanSentra

 

Hi All:

One of the reasons why the 2020 Nissan Sentra's NVH is so unnoticeable is its (4) engine mounts.

Two are Liquid-filled (right side and rear), one is a standard solid (left side), and the last is a vacuum controlled with membrane and integrated torque rod (upper side, lower side) mount.

2020 Nissan Sentra

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#AllNewNissanSentra

 

Hi All:

I have the all-new 2020 Nissan Sentra’s CVT ratios, spread, and final along with the various tires sizes so we have its RPM@60 mph now available.

2020 Nissan Sentra SV

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Sentra S uses 205/55R16 tires with a 24.9" diameter
Sentra SV uses the same 205/55R16 and the same 24.9" diameter
Sentra SV Premium uses 205/50R17s with a 25.1" diameter

The CVTs low to high 2.631 – 0.378 ratio provides an excellent 6.96:1 spread
CVT Final: 5.097

RPM@60 mph

Sentra S - 1,561 RPM
Sentra SV – 1,561 RPM
Sentra SV Premium – 1,548 RPM

This all-new 2020 Nissan Sentra will supply excellent low RPM cruise no matter the trim.

Wayne

#AllNewNissanSentra

 

Hi All:

The 2020 Nissan Sentra should be available from dealerships starting today. When I checked the closest Nissan dealership to me, I saw an incredibly large number of 2019 Sentra's and 2020 Altima's stacking his lot.

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That many unsold 19 Sentra's is not a good sign for anybody.

Wayne