Nissan Sentra

Overview

The segment of mid-size sedans might not be as popular as once it was in terms of customer interest. However,  for most of the developed markets, it serves as a crucial category, as this very segment brings the most amount of volumes for a manufacturer. Sticking to this fact, Nissan has made the Sentra available in the UAE, which plays an important role in the company's portfolio when it comes to bringing volumes. Also, known as Nissan Sylphy in some countries, the Nissan Sentra is currently in its fifth generation, and has been made available here in the UAE with two petrol engine options comprising three variants in both of them – S, SV and SL. It is available in various color options such as Solid White, Pearl White, Brilliant Silver, Phantom Grey, Black, Cayenne Red, and Brownish Grey.

Interior

On the inside, the Nissan Sentra displays a mix of sporty and sophisticated elements. This design theme makes the car look up to date despite the simple layout of the front dashboard.

The V-shaped steering wheel with silver accents and finished buttons look unique and very different from the cars in this segment. The instrument console, on the other hand, looks less flashy and has been designed in a subtle way.

This combination of sporty and sophistication is visible on the centre console as well. While the AC vents have a very unique scoop-like design, which aids in both aesthetics and cooling performance, the touchscreen music system surrounds for it are laid out in a simple manner. Similar is the care with the automatic climate control setup. Make no mistake, this doesn’t look dated but don’t look flashy as well. However, the cabin comes with a mix of black with wood finish, with a complete pine finish around gear lever as well as buttons for climate control.

The overall space and comfort levels might not be class leading, but the Sentra does provide ample amount of cabin space, with sufficient legroom, headroom, and shoulder room to seat three adults with ease. And when it comes to features, the Nissan Sentra comes loaded with essential aids such as a sunroof, touchscreen infotainment system, dual zone climate control, leather upholstery, keyless entry with push button start, and cruise control.

Exterior

The Nissan Sentra currently sold in the UAE is not the latest model. The Sentra's facelift version is already on sale in South-East Asian countries, which robs of some novelty of the model. However, given its plain approach towards design, it manages to look smart.

At the front, Nissan’s characteristic trapezoidal grille with chrome slats makes the Sentra look premium, however, the overall design could have been a bit more contemporary. The pullback reindeer headlamps look nice and aptly look modern, thanks to the presence of daytime running LEDs, however, the absence of projector headlamps in a premium car like this is quite unacceptable. The front bumper with a plain-jane design for fog lamps adds in the dated appeal of the overall front fascia.

From the sides, the Nissan Sentra has an air of gentleness, thanks to a stretched design and smooth curve flowing all the way from the front headlamp till the rear tail lamp. The multi-spoke alloy wheels and chrome garnish on the door handles and shoulder-line add some sophistication as well.

At the rear, the tail lamps somewhat have the same design theme as that of the front headlamps, which make the car look aggressive and stylish. The tail lamps come with LED inserts making the setup look blingy.

Comfort Suspension

The Nissan Sentra comes underpinned with a suspension system of MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear. Both of which get the assistance of a stabilizer in order to make the ride quality smooth and supple. Given its characteristics of a premium sedan, the overall ride comfort is on the softer side. The sedan comes with the options of 15-inch and 16-inch wheels, which are shod with meatier tyres for better balance between supple handling and spirited driving. However, the braking setup could have been better, with the absence of disc brakes at the rear being a sore miss.

Engine Performance

For the UAE market, the Nissan Sentra comes with a choice of two engines options. Both of which are petrol powered. While the smaller engine is a 1.6-litre motor which produces 113 bhp of power and 154 Nm of torque, the bigger 1.8-litre mill churns out 130 bhp of power and 174 Nm of torque. While the 1.6-litre petrol motor comes with both the options of a 5-speed manual and a CVT. The 1.8-litre engine has the only CVT option on offer.

Braking Safety

The Nissan Sentra comes equipped with all the safety essentials like dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, brake assist, cruise control, reverse parking sensors, reverse camera, and immobilizer. However, given its premium positioning, we would have liked to see much more features here, as the competition has already upped the game by providing better safety aids.

Verdict

The Nissan Sentra is one particular model which does not break or create any new grounds with its safe approach towards design and other aspects of engineering. With the global unveiling of its facelifted version, this UAE-spec Sentra feels a bit outdated in some departments, however, it still manages to look smart and sophisticated. The list of comfort and convenience features as well as safety aids could have been a bit longer given the stiff competition from other models. However, with the basics covered in the right way, the Nissan Sentra is one option that displays a balance between being simple and flashy.