The 2026 Nissan Sentra Is a Sleeker, Smarter Civic Competitor. We Got an Early Look

Nissan has redesigned its compact sedan at a time when consumers are seeking affordable new cars.

2026 Nissan Sentra First Look

Photo by: Ralph Hermens | Motor1

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Sep 23, 2025 at 9:00am ET

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The Nissan Sentra is a vital model for the brand. Soon, it will be the automaker’s entry-level offering with the company potentially discontinuing the Versa after the 2025 model year. As one of the few remaining affordable options for consumers, the Sentra receives a much-needed redesign for the 2026 model year.

While a lot of the car is new, buyers will find a familiar engine under the hood—a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, the same as before. The engine powers the front wheels, with an Xtronic continuously variable transmission as the only gearbox option.

The new Sentra is longer than the model it replaces, 183.3 inches versus 182.9 inches—but the wheelbase is 0.10 inches shorter at 106.5. The sedan’s width is the same 71.5 inches, but the model is now 0.2 inches taller while riding 0.10 inches closer to the ground.

The car has an all-new exterior design featuring an evolution of the brand’s V-motion grille, which extends into the new, slim lighting signature. The new look also has aerodynamic enhancements such as smaller wheel openings, side mirrors designed to reduce drag, flat floor covers underneath, and tire deflectors.

2026 Nissan Sentra SL

Source: Nissan

Nissan hasn’t released official fuel economy ratings, but the company estimates the 2026 Sentra will achieve up to 29 miles per gallon city, 38 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined. Slightly lower than the 2025 Sentra, which returned up to 30 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined.

Nissan will offer the Sentra in four trims—S, SV, SL, and SR—after only offering three for 2025. Sixteen-, 17, and 18-inch wheels are available.

Inside, the new Sentra features a standard 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and a 7.0-inch multi-information display. Buyers will need to upgrade to the SV, SR, or SL grades if they wish to have the 12.3-inch driver display and wireless phone connectivity.

2026 Nissan Sentra SR

Photos by: Nissan

2026 Nissan Sentra SR

The SL, which returns to the lineup, comes with a ton of amenities. Standard Sentra SL features include a heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, power sunroof, 17-inch wheels, and quilted synthetic leather seats.

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The SR stands out with its unique front fascia with dark chrome grille elements, a trim-specific rear bumper, black side sills, a rear spoiler, 18-inch wheels, and a two-tone roof. SV, SR, and SL trims feature a drive mode selector with a Sport mode that weights up the steering, sharpens the throttle response, and changes the CVT calibration.

Nissan says the new Sentra will begin reaching showrooms sometime later this year. It hasn’t released pricing information, but the 2025 Sentra starts at $22,785, which includes the $1,195 destination charge. We expect the 2026 Sentra's price to still begin in the low $20,000 range.

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