Sentra

Make
Nissan
Segment
Sedan

The Nissan Sentra is getting old. The current generation has been around since 2013 though a facelift a couple of years back kept things temporarily fresh. Not anymore. Competition like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Kia Forte have since surpassed Nissan's compact sedan offering and the Japanese automaker is finally doing something about it. According to an early order guide obtained by CarsDirect, the 2020 Sentra is due for a significant makeover that will see it more closely resemble the overseas-only Sylphy. The Sylphy has historically been the same vehicle as the Sentra but was heavily updated for 2019.

Now, America is likely getting those updates. The order guide reveals all-new Sentras will come powered by a standard 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder good for around 149 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. Compared to the current Sentra, that's roughly a 20 percent power gain. The new Sentra is also keeping its CVT transmission, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

However, this appears to be the only engine option, unlike the current Sentra, which can be had with a turbocharged 1.6-liter rated at 166 hp and 177 lb-ft. Another unanswered question: will the six-speed manual remain standard? The Sentra has been one of the few mainstream, non-sports cars to offer a manual and it'd be sad to see it go.

Exterior and interior styling is also due for significant upgrades, as the new Sylphy clearly shows. The report also claims the 2020 Sentra will be equipped with a multilink rear suspension for all trims instead of the current car's torsion beam setup. This will significantly improve the overall ride with a sportier attitude.

Safety features are also key updates, specifically the addition of the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite that includes automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and auto high beams. And yes, the current Sentra is offered with automatic emergency braking but requires upgrading to the SV or SR trims.

Will all of these updates mean big prices increases? Unknown at this time, but 2020 Nissan Sentra production is due to get underway next month. Nissan refused to comment on this report, stating it won't discuss future products.