Nissan Has Cheaper Cars 'Ready to Go' if Tariff Policies Change

Less expensive versions of the Kicks and Sentra could be offered in the U.S. if tariff policies change

written by Steven Ewing
edited by Kathleen Clonts
4/14/2026
Share:

What's new: Nissan could theoretically offer cheaper versions of the Kicks and Sentra in the United States.
Why it matters: Current tariffs on imported vehicles are raising the prices of would-be affordable cars.
Edmunds says: Nissan's two cheapest models start around $25,000; we'd love to see the company offer something in the $20K ballpark.

— Yokohama, Japan

New cars keep getting more and more expensive, and Nissan knows there's big demand for affordable vehicles. But the company says it'll be hard to offer lower-priced cars in the U.S. until the government's tariff policies change.

"What's making it very difficult is the context," Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa said during a press conference, referring to the current automotive import tariffs. "The question is how to get to the right price."

See 61 2026 Nissan Sentra vehicles for sale near you

See All for Sale

In the U.S., two of Nissan's cheapest cars are the Sentra sedan and Kicks crossover, which start at $23,845 and $24,275, respectively, including destination charges. The even-less-expensive Nissan Versa sedan was discontinued for the 2026 model year.

Espinosa said the Kicks and Sentra "can be very competitive" and that cheaper versions could easily be sold in the U.S. "The cars are there and ready," Espinosa said. "If the context changes, we could bring those. We could add more."

Both the Kicks and Sentra are manufactured at Nissan's plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing is Edmunds' director of editorial content. An automotive journalist for more than half of his life, Ewing's been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and he was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. He's also contributed to publications like Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and more. Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. From testing prototype cars in the Arctic Circle to spilling a beer on a Formula 1 driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (oops), he's always got an interesting story to tell.

edited by Kathleen Clonts

Kathleen Clonts has worked in the automotive industry since 2014 and has copy-edited thousands of vehicle reviews and stories about cars and the auto industry in that time. Kathleen is the Edmunds editorial team's copy chief and previously worked as the senior copy editor for Automobile magazine.

Get More Edmunds Car News in Your Inbox