2026 Nissan Sentra First Look: New, Improved and Totally Unrecognizable

• The new ninth-generation Sentra is finally here.
• It brings fresh looks, new tech and a nicer interior.
• The platform and powertrains are unchanged, however.

Underwhelming power

Even though hybrids are immensely popular right now, Nissan doesn't have a hybrid system it can simply pop under the Sentra's hood. The naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes the exact same power numbers as before (149 horsepower, 146 lb-ft of torque). That was only good enough to get the Sentra from 0 to 60 mph in 8.8 seconds at the Edmunds test track.

We didn't love the old Sentra's continuously variable automatic, and bad news: That transmission is back. Nissan did note the tuning has been updated to give the CVT more responsiveness and smoother acceleration. Nissan also says the body is more rigid to give it better handling chops, but the new Sentra doesn't get an all-new skeleton, just an updated version of the old car's bones. 

Interior upgrades

There are a bunch of new features found for the first time on the Sentra, including adaptive cruise control that works down to a stop, bigger screens, and a wireless charging pad. (Yes, that's a first for the Sentra.) A 12.3-inch touchscreen is now standard, replacing the painfully small 8-inch unit buyers were stuck with in the old car. All trims but the base model get a matching 12.3-inch instrument cluster, as well as wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

You can't get real leather on any of the Sentra's trims, even the newly reintroduced top-spec SL trim opts for the fake stuff. But the seats themselves are quite comfortable in both rows (the outside seats at least), with good support and nice cushioning. The Sentra's back seat is still quite roomy for something of this size, with plenty of headroom and legroom for adult passengers. However, the back seat is lacking some basic amenities — rear passengers don't get any air vents and have to share a single USB-C charging port. Get ready to fight over that cable.

Value and MPG

These upgrades have certainly helped to modernize the Sentra and help it to catch up with the competition, but the two biggest factors for this car are still up in the air, and they're both tied to value.

The first is fuel economy. With the same powertrain, it shouldn't deviate much from the 33-34 mpg combined the last-gen Sentra offered and Nissan's internal estimates are 32-33 mpg combined for the new car. But we'll have to wait for the EPA numbers to know for sure.

Secondly, but most importantly, we're still waiting for pricing. The core of the Sentra's appeal previously was the fact that you could get a fully loaded version for around $25,000, which meant it was competing against the middle trims of other vehicles. If that can still be true and if the range-topping SL can land at around $27,000, it'll give Nissan a big leg up in the value department over the other compact sedans.