ROAD TEST: 2020 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0 SR CVT SPORTY SEDAN A FAR CRY FROM ITS HUMBLE ROOTS
Canada’s sedan market, while diminished from its former might, is still a contender in the marketplace. This week we bolster that argument with the all-new, eighth-generation Nissan Sentra.
Since the humble compact four-door’s debut in 1982, more than six million have been sold and it continues to be the top-selling model for the automaker in North America. Note that isn’t “top-selling car,” but model, meaning it outsells all those sport utes and SUVS in Nissan’s stable.
The Sentra gets a very sporty makeover for 2020, and a new engine. Although is has just 149 horsepower, the 2.0-litre four provides a 20-per-cent boost to horsepower and a 16-per-cent pip to torque (to 146 pound-feet) over the outgoing 1.8-L engine. That increased power benefits from an all-new chassis, which includes multi-link independent rear suspension, dual-pinion rack electric power steering, active ride control, and vehicle dynamics control.
These new updates were the highlights of my week in the Sentra SR CVT tester; the improved ride quality, handling and performance of the compact sedan were evident from the first corner. Contributing to that fun-to-drive quality is the fact that the new model is two-inches wider and 2.2-inches lower than the 2019 version, providing a lower centre of gravity and a more stable stance.
As the model name implies, it was outfitted with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), though the base S trim is available with — wait for it — a six-speed manual transmission (that cheering you hear is from automotive journalists all over the country).
The CVT was perfectly suitable for the sedan, though I do find it puzzling that steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters are not available in any trim.
Not that I’m a huge fan of them, it just seems it is a trend that has migrated from performance vehicles to more mundane rides.
When I ask people who own cars with paddle shifters how much they use them, the typical response is usually something like, “In the first month I used them, but not much since then.” A non-scientific study, but it does indicate having paddle shifters on non-performance vehicles falls into the just-because-youcan-doesn’t-mean-you-should category.
The new Sentra’s styling, however, is a stroke of genius, inside and out. I was at the vehicle’s global reveal at the L.A. Auto Show in November, and the audible buzz by the assembled media when the cover was pulled back was the kind of reception a supercar reveal elicits.
Few onlookers could deny that it is a very well-proportioned and sculpted sedan. Where other automakers have struggled to make their front-end design language work between SUVS and cars — I’m looking at you, Lexus — Nissan designers managed to incorporate the signature V-motion grille into the Sentra in a way that makes it feel unobtrusive and attractive. The thin LED projector headlights certainly help the esthetic cause.
The SR trim — second from the top behind SR Premium — ups the sportiness factor with a rear spoiler, black painted side mirrors, lower body side-sill extensions, 18-inch diamond-cut aluminum alloy wheels, dark chrome V-motion grille, and chrome exhaust tips.
With a price tag under $27,000, it certainly punches above its weight in the looks department.
Turns out beauty isn’t just skin deep; the redesigned cabin also features a look and feel found in vehicles twice that price. The red stitching on the black seats and dash is exquisite, and the limited use of chrome accents provides a further refined sense of style.
The driver gets the royal treatment, with a sport, D-shaped steering wheel, a clean gauge package, and intuitive and simple controls.
Both driver and front passenger get Nissan’s famed Zero Gravity seats. Rear space is good too, though the middle seat isn’t built for long hauls.
There are a few things I found wanting in the new Sentra. There are no options for setting drive modes, which may not be a deal breaker, but it is something available in the competition. And unlike paddle shifters, the drive mode button is one I use well after a month of ownership.
I wasn’t enamoured of the centre display touch screen either. I found it difficult to read on sunny days, even with the brightness turned on high, and the positioning of it in relation to the driver seemed a bit off.
I’m also not a big fan of using my smartphone for navigation via Apple Carplay/android
Auto. I realize it provides a cost saving to the bottom line, but my preference is always to have an installed NAV system on board. And the lack of a smartphone wireless charging pad also seems an oversight.
All that said, for the price the 2020 Sentra SR is a wellequipped, great looking and excellent handling compact sedan. Case closed.