Small sedans aren’t quite dead in the United States, but they occupy just a small fraction of their former market share. Every year, it seems like there are fewer and fewer on the road. That’s a shame. Small sedans deliver that perfect mix of affordability, maneuverability, and fuel economy that’s hard to find anywhere else. Yet, more and more buyers continue to turn to compact crossovers instead.
While many brands turn their backs on small sedans, there are a few brands keeping the faith, and one of them is Nissan. The troubled Japanese automaker is planning to introduce a new Sentra later this year, and it’s going to stay small. We know this because MIIT—China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology—reportedly just published a few images and dimensions of its sister car, the Sylphy, before its official debut.
The current Sylphy and the current Sentra share a unibody and interior, but their front bumpers are markedly different. The Sentra uses an all-black, slatted grille, while the Sylphy employs a U-shaped chrome grille piece, similar to the pre-facelift Altima we got here in the States.
It’s unclear right now how much of the Sylphy’s face will show up on the U.S.-market Sentra. The shape shown in these photos seems similar to what was shown in spy photos of the new Sentra published elsewhere online, while the lights match up with teasers that Nissan released earlier this year.
Say what you will about Nissan’s current financial situation, but its design department is killing it right now. I think this thing looks great. The fascia is sharp and modern, without going too overboard on trying to look overly techy or futuristic. The rear, meanwhile, is doing the singular brake light bar thing that virtually every other new car has these days. But it doesn’t look bad. I really hope Nissan doesn’t change much in the transition from Slyphy to Sentra.
New cars are famously always bigger than outgoing models, and that’ll be true for the new Sylphy—but not by much. Measurements published by MIIT indicate the car will only be half an inch longer and 0.3 inches wider than the current car, with an identical wheelbase and height. The wheelbase being the same—as well as the near identical shape of the hood’s shut line and the roofline—suggests this might just be a very heavy update, rather than an entirely new car. There’s no reason to believe it’ll be any different for the Sentra. Not that I mind. If the Sentra’s only way of surviving is to keep the same unibody, then so be it. That’s better than having it die off.
There’s no official word on powertrain for the U.S. yet, though places like MotorTrend and Motor1 say that the new Sentra will get a version of the same 149-horsepower 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder found in the current car. Car and Driver, meanwhile, reports that the upcoming Sentra will receive a turbocharged three-cylinder engine, likely the 201-hp unit from the Rogue. Both engines are paired with a CVT, which will probably be the case for 2026, despite my twice-daily pleas to Nissan to bring back the five-speed manual (it was killed off earlier this year, reportedly due to tariffs).
The new Sentra could become an even more important car in Nissan’s lineup going forward. Rumors of the Versa and the Altima dying off mean that the Sentra might soon be the company’s last-remaining sedan. And, provided Nissan doesn’t go crazy with unnecessary tech upgrades, it would also eclipse the Versa to become the cheapest new car in America (the 2025 Sentra starts at $22,785 including destination).
Long live the small sedan.
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Despite all the uninformed carping about the CVT, they’re actually pretty good now. Much has changed in the last 20 years and the CVT in the Sentra is an absolute please, especially in stop and go traffic. Smooth, holds a ratio and does rubber band, simulates gears when you throttle it hard, which is quite satisfying. Will it last? I can’t say. But any automatic can and will fail expensively. I rented a Mazda CX-50 last week and the transmission was the worst thing about. I miserable, reluctant, slow shifting mess that got worse the harder you drive it. Zoom zoom my ass, there was nothing sporty about it except for the lack of headroom. I’d take a CVT over that hot mess any day.
It’s… thoroughly meh, overall.
I don’t think showing the pre-production model in Refrigerator White is doing it many favors. Would have been better to show it in one of the peppy colors the Kicks and Versa currently feature. I’d assume the SR and higher model will get the two tone treatment like the Kicks/Versa/Rogue/Pathfinder, which frankly looks quite decent and would also mask the unfortunate use of black plastic on the windowline.
The front end doesn’t bother me, it’s fairly sharp and feels vaguely French. But the rear? Literally could be one of a dozen different cars. The ‘melted LED bar’ rear treatment is basically lazy and nowhere near as dynamic as the front. You couldn’t repeat the teardrop motif on the rear, Nissan? (though, Mitsubshi once did that on the 2007-16 Pajero and caught massive flak for it from consumers overseas, so, maybe not that) but… just something that doesnt’ scream ‘I could be an Accord, or maybe a Saab 9-5 from 2011, cooooould be a BYD or Chery, you won’t know until you see the badge up close!’
Say what you will about the 2013+ Nissan design language, you definitely knew you were looking at a Nissan product, especially the taillights on the Versa/Sentra/Altima later in the 2010’s got a very distinctive ‘reverse boomerang’ shape to them that I thought was pretty nice. But now they’re all morphing into indistinguishable blobs.
But here’s the thing… Nissan, friggin’ offer this in wagon form if you want this to actually SELL. A lot of people would like the utility of an SUV without the damn ride height, and they want a lower, longer cargo area than that Kicks offers, which frankly is a bit compromised from a cargo carrying standpoint.
It already exists in the PSA portfolio. It’s called the Dacia Jogger. It comes with a manual, AWD and a hybrid version.
Bring that to the US market, slap a Nissan-ified bumper cover and grille/airbag cover on it, start it at 17k (WITH THE FRIGGIN MANUAL!!!) and have it top out at 26k fully loaded.
Sure, it’ll eat into Kicks and Rogue sales, but that’s a small price to pay. This would be different than anything else in the sub 25k market, and it would sell briskly at that price point, and be cheap enough that even some working college kids and single moms could swing a 60 or 84 month note on the thing.
A wagon with AWD and a useful cargo area, in some funky colors lifted from the Kicks/Versa, would sell quite decently, and most buyers wouldn’t care that the Jogger is a bit underpowered. It would be fine for daily commuter duties.
C’mon, Nissan… you’ve been on a better trajectory, get back to doing the cheap, fun and slightly weird cars you had from 1990-2006, please, before Ghosn sucked all the fun outta ya.
I wonder what it will look like with the front bumper dragging on the ground, riding on three space-saver spares while going 90 down the shoulder of the highway?
We all know that ISN’T a hypothetical. It WILL happen. Give it time.
So sick of shiny black plastic fake windows.
And light slashes.
Just no.
Who wants a saloon/sedan? Hatchbacks or estates/station wagons are what it’s at!
If they are available in the market, i can’t buy something the companies don’t make anymore.
What is wrong with car designers today? This might as well be designed by AI. Utterly devoid of taste.
This guy’s last 2 articles feel like ragebait.
NO!!! this thing is hideous. I’m sick of hideous cars.
The B18 Sentra’s naturally aspirated MR engine is pretty reliable, probably due to its age (the first MR being made in 2004 and the current engine dating back to 2010).
With the manual gearbox, it gets fun “slow car fast” performance. The Sentra even replaced the Micra for amateur racers up north without many powertrain changes.
It would be a shame to spoil that with the VC-Turbo AND the CVT. You can get 10 years out of a well-maintained CVT. I can’t say the same for such a complex and fairly new engine. We all know Nissan is going to raise the MSRP but a powertrain like that will also make this car way more expensive to own.
The current Sentra’s biggest issue is its safety scores. It was a top safety pick a couple years ago but was rickety rocked by the updated tests. If you got a 2022 Sentra for its safety rating, you are very pissed right now.
FWIW Nissan removed the VC part of the 3-cylinder for their latest application in a British Qashqai hybrid, which previously had the VC part. I wonder if they’ll do the same with the non-hybrids too.
….no interior photos? BOOOOO
Apparently the Autopian doesn’t spring for vision coverage for their writers? 😛
This is a very ugly and over-styled car. What’s up with those “tears” under the headlights? What’s up with that hood/fender line? The tiny wheels or the generic rear end?
“The fascia is sharp and modern, without going too overboard on trying to look overly techy or futuristic. “
Agree to disagree. I think that facia is the definition of a try-hard.
America demands the hungry maw of the giant grill!
Speaking of which, I wonder where this new model will be manufactured and if it will get China’s hybrid powertrain (probably not but I don’t know why it never has).
Hyundai called… they want their front bumper back.
If by killing you mean actual violence, then yes.
As far as the actual car is concerned, I like cheap econoboxes. However, I don’t like transmissions made out of balsa wood. Therefore, despite the Sentra being something like $10K cheaper than a Civic, it’s lack of a manual, real automatic, or eCVT, makes it a complete non-starter.
This looks more like a facelift or mid cycle update rather than new generation.The sheetmetal and powertrain are the same (at least from the information available). This looks like a base trim, maybe the SR trims look better.
Not the worst, until you get to Cheap and CVT only. Nissan should grab the actual auto trans from the Murano. If for the R-Type only.
Everything about this looks terrible, from the reptilian front fascia, to the “faker” plastic that’s making up a significant portion of the side profile (Sajeev Mehta over at Hagerty would call this DLO Fail), to the tall, narrow, stance.
It’s copying the style on the Ariya. I didn’t think it looked good there either.
I think the rear end looks good? That’s about it. Agreed on the front fascia and the black plastic on the rear window. That shit looks awful.
There’s little I hate more in the automotive detail world than slapping on some shiny black plastic to emulate tinted glass. Looking at you, 2016 Camry.
Did Nissan kill off the 6MT for Canada as well, or can there be an attempt to import that way? (skirting the traditional 25y rule)
(and, yes, it’s currently a 6MT and not a 5MT as noted above with the 2.0)
I’m confused about whether it’s called “Slyphy” or “Sylphy” (both spellings appear in the story), but I hope it’s “Slyphy” because that would be an awesome Terry Goodkind reference (even better if they spelled it “Sliphy”, but it works). I’ll take one in metallic silver.
Sylphy in China
Gen-Z buzzword mania.
Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the 2027 Lincoln Emoji.
Chinese like smaller cars it seems, slender and graceful being is what I understand the name to refer to.
I think the Silph reference could work for a car too, but you would be giving Nissan engineers too much credit as they would be the Wizards in that analogy. And I am not sure the Sentra qualifies as a rapid transport device over long distances. I guess it is all up for interpretation of course.
Nissan has been using the Sylphy name in Japan and other markets for like 25 years now, basically all Sentras for the past quarter century have been either rebadged Sylphys or closely related platform mates
I can tell JT didn’t edit this because his mom HAS to have gotten “Slyvia” instead of Sylvia like mine did.
SyphilisClam
One of the things I love about this site is the reminder that the world of cars is varied in its opinions and aesthetic choices.
Don’t let me ick you’re yum but, this car is everything that’s wrong with current car design, and it should be banned.
“ick you are yum but” ???
That’s like when someone is enjoying something you think is gross, but it’s not a big deal, and you don’t want them to stop just because you said so.
For example, I hate peanut butter, but the whole world loves it. I try not complain when my daughter asks for apples and peanut butter.
I think the current gen of Sentras looks pretty sharp.
I actually agree, and I think it’s a pretty great value too, if you’re willing to gamble on a Nissan CVT anyway (where has Jatco Xtronic CVT been lately?).
The last generation Sentra was a disgrace of a vehicle. The current one is competitive, and is also a relative bargain compared to the equivalent Civic, etc.
Agree – the front and rear are so much improved. If Nissan would consider making a manual available (now that there’s no more Versa flavor), I might be in.
“Where has Jatco Xtronic CVT been lately?”
Repair shop. Almost certainly the repair shop.
Maybe he’ll come back as Replaced Jatco Xtronic CVT.
I would say rebuilt, but nobody actually rebuilds CVTs.
I was going to say “slugging it out with Ford Powershift in the parking lot after school.”
I wish i could upvote this more!
I like this and I think the current one is more than decent too. This kind of looks like a Peugeot, I’m ok with it, and its more tasteful than a Elantra or K4 IMO. For a normal person, the CVT is fine. I dunno if I’d want one, but if I had one I’d double up the maintenance interval. Often times the problem with cheap cars isn’t that they’re necessarily bad (see Mopar, Datsun, many others) but that the people who buy them sort of resent having to buy them, then either choose to abuse them or can’t afford to maintain them properly. I think some cheap sedans could take a trick from the expensive sedan playbook and offer long-wheelbase versions of the same car. Have a cheap SWB sedan for young’s and singles, and a LWB for “car share” and families on budgets (that can easily accommodate car seats.
Maybe they could have something like a 2 door version for young/single people that looked a bit sporty, and a longer, 4 door version for families, just a thought.
Counterpoint: when the Nazis opened the Ark of The Covenant, this car is why their faces melted off.
If the Altima goes away, will all the Altima drivers go away too?
No, they will drive fifth-hand Kia’s and Hyundai’s in exactly the same fashion.
Or upsize to an Armada.
In some marketing department there’s a team thinking about the “coveted Altima demographic” and how to keep them loyal.
I think they’re slowly moving over to the Kia K5
Inexpensive Model 3s.
The world is not ready for an Altima driver who “upgrades” to a 15 year-old Tesla with 244,000 miles, 3 previous owners, and limited functionality due to lapsed subscriptions.
Won’t we just see them bricked on the side of the road?
They’ll go Rogue.