Nissan Sentra
The Nissan Sentra is a series of automobiles manufactured by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 1982. Since 1999, the Sentra has been categorized as a compact car, while previously it occupied the subcompact class. Until 2006, Sentra was a rebadged export version of the Japanese Nissan Sunny, but since the 2013 model year, Sentra is a rebadged export version of the Sylphy. The Sentra nameplate is not used in Japan. Several other countries in Latin America sell their versions of the Sunny as the Sentra. In Mexico, the first three generations of the Sentra were known as the Nissan Tsuru, and the B13 model was sold under that name until 2017, alongside the updated models badged as Sentra.
After starting out as a subcompact in North America, the Sentra has grown over the years, with the Nissan Versa having replaced it in the entry-level segment. The Sentra currently serves as Nissan's compact car offering in North America – despite having been rated as a mid-size car by the EPA since model year 2007, due to its interior volume.
The Sentra name was created for Nissan by Ira Bachrach of NameLab, and Bachrach describes the origin as "Nissan wanted consumers to understand that it was quite safe even though it was small. The word Sentra sounds like central as well as sentry, which evokes images of safety."
First generation (B11; 1982)
The first generation of the Nissan Sentra was introduced in the United States in May 1982 as a direct replacement for the Datsun 310. The model was initially imported from Japan, where it was produced at Zama plant. Available in four body styles, it was the second car to be marketed in the United States under the nameplate of Nissan and using a model name instead of a number. The first one was the Nissan Stanza, introduced at the 1981 New York International Auto Show as a 1982 model. While previous Sunny models had used a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, the B11 Sentra was the first to use a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. Engine choice was the 1.5 L four-cylinder SOHC, replacing the old A-Series OHV. This featured semi-hemispherical combustion chambers, high-swirl intake ports and a semi-dual exhaust manifold to provide strong torque at low and medium rpm ranges. Torque peak was at 3200 rpm. Transmission options were a four-speed manual, 5-speed manual or a three-speed automatic with lock-up torque converter. Drag coefficient was 0.39 for the coupe and 0.40 for 2- and 4-door sedans.At the time of its release, the Environmental Protection Agency gave the Sentra MPG the highest gasoline mileage for gasoline powered cars marketed at that time, 43 miles per gallon in city and 58 miles per gallon in highway, a combined 48 miles per gallon. Curb weight of only 1875 pounds helped it to achieve that number. The Sentra MPG featured a three-way exhaust catalyst and an electronically controlled fuel metering unit to monitor the air-fuel mixture automatically and make adjustments to boost fuel mileage.
Trim levels were Standard, Deluxe, and XE, while price ranges were between US$4,949 for the base two-door sedan up to US$6,899 for the two-door XE hatchback coupe. Standard equipment on all models were four-wheel independent suspension, front disc brakes and rear drums, rack and pinion steering, maintenance-free battery, a rear ashtray, and bucket seats. Deluxe models added halogen headlamps, a remote-locking gas filler door, a carpeted trunk, and a rear wiper washer on the wagon. Deluxe and XE offered tinted glass, trip odometer, a vanity mirror, dual remote mirrors, and door trim. XE offered cut pile carpeting, an analog quartz clock, remote rear window opener, a low-fuel warning light, an AM-FM Clarion stereo radio, power steering, a tachometer, and 155/13 whitewall radial tires. A sunroof was available as an option.
In its first year of sales, the Sentra became the best-selling import in the U.S. and the fourth best-selling passenger car overall, with 191,312 units sold of both cars. The Sentra ended the 1983 year as the eighth-most sold passenger car, with 209,889 units.
The 1983 model-year introduced a 1.7 L CD17 diesel inline-four, mated with a four-speed manual transmission. Also, the 1.5 L was replaced by a 1.6 L E16 as the standard engine, available with a five-speed manual or three-speed automatic. Later that year the Sentra also received an electronically controlled carburetor.
In April 1985, Nissan started production of the Sentra in the Smyrna, Tennessee plant, after a US$85 million investment. The only body style manufactured in the US was the two-door sedan. The 1985 model-year received aerodynamically styled headlamps, a revised grille and blackwall tires. An SE option was introduced as two-door hatchback model, with alloy wheels, black lower body paint and black out grille. An automatic transmission was optional on all Sentras except the two-door base sedan, MPG Diesel and SE coupe. Prices were starting at US$5,499. The diesel engine was discontinued in the U.S. market soon thereafter. Consumer Reports magazine ranked the B11 reliability as "better than average" in 1985.
The B11 model was ranked the seventh safest car in a ranking made by the Center for Auto Safety in 1983, which examined the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing, consisting of frontal crashes at 35 miles per hour.
Mexico
In 1984, the Sentra entered production in Nissan Mexicana's Cuernavaca plant as the Nissan Tsuru. It was built there until 1987 when it was replaced by the next generation; in total 210,565 of the first Tsuru were built in Mexico.Second generation (B12; 1986)
United States/Canada
This generation carried on the multitude of body styles that the B11 had, including a station wagon, two-door or four-door sedan, three-door hatchback and the hatchback-bodied Sport Coupé. While the B12 chassis was first produced and marketed in 1985 in most parts of the world, it was not offered to the United States until August 1986, for the 1987 model year. The two-door sedan model of the previous generation Sentra was the only bodystyle built in Nissan's Smyrna, Tennessee plant, representing about 22 percent of Sentra sales in North America in 1986. With the new generation, the plant underwent a five-month conversion and when production of the B12 Sentra began on August 12, 1986, it was also built as a four-door sedan. In December, the three-door Hatchback bodystyle was added to the US production, followed by the station wagon bodystyle in January 1987.The B12 carried over a radically modified 4-wheel independent suspension from the B11, with all-wheel disc brakes an option in some parts of the world. This was the start of the model classes which were standard through the 2003 model year having the E as the base-level economy car, the XE as the next-up model, the GXE as the top level for the 4-door sedan, and the sporty SE coupe. The GXE had a body colored bumper, aero side mirrors with manual remote control, tachometer as well as standard 13" 175/70R13 alloy wheels along with air-conditioning, variable intermittent wipers, but no standard cassette deck nor any power windows/locks/mirrors. The SE also had dual mirrors, air conditioning, tachometer, and power door locks and windows in some markets and possibly electronic fuel injection.
The B12 chassis would be the last chassis to offer a station wagon model. Even more rare are the four-wheel drive versions of the station wagon, offered as an option for the 1987, 1988, and 1989 model years. These models featured an electrically activated single-range transfer case to drive the independently suspended rear wheels, making the car a selectable four-wheel-drive vehicle. Sales were mediocre, totalling 429 in calendar year 1986, 2,050 in 1987, 2,408 in 1988, and a final 892 deliveries in 1989.
All 1987 Sentras came standard with the E16 engine with, excepting the Sport Coupé and the later four-wheel-drive wagon, which received the throttle-body-injected E16i engine with identical power output. A five-speed manual transmission was standard, with a three-speed automatic available as an option. In 1988, all Sentras had the E16i, which was offered for this year with throttle body injection. In many parts of the world the E-series soldiered on in the B12 chassis with some versions getting the multi-point fuel injection E16E engine. From 1989 to 1990, the only engine choice was the GA16i, a 12-valve SOHC predecessor of the GA16DE. Transaxles offered were the 4- and 5-speed manuals and a 3-speed automatic with torque converter lockup.
The 1987 Sentra earned a 1-star out of 5 rating for the driver in the NHTSA 35-mph full frontal crash test, the lowest possible. Nissan rectified this problem with the 1988 and later models, which earned a 3-star rating.
1989 saw a subtle change in the body style of the Sentra sedan, as new larger, more rounded front corner lights were introduced to the front fenders and redesigned taillights were added to the rear fascia. The Nissan logo on the front grille was relocated from the right hand side to the center. In 1990, electrically retracted front shoulder belts were added, as well as three-point harnesses for the outboard, rear seat passengers.
The Sport Coupe was a sportier style of the Sentra. It shared none of the body components with the standard model and was always imported from Japan, rather than being built in Tennessee. It was only available with the E16i or GA16i. All Sport Coupes had dual sway bars, dual remote-adjust mirrors, and a tachometer instrument cluster. The SE model added features like air conditioning and rear speakers. All B12 Sentras use the same wiring harness, regardless of the options installed on any particular vehicle.
In Canada, the B12 four-door sedan remained available through the 1993 model year. Essentially a rebadged, Mexican-built Nissan Tsuru II, it was called Sentra Classic to distinguish it from the B13 model released for 1991. It replaced the Nissan Micra 3/5-door hatchbacks as Nissan's Canadian market price-leader model as they were discontinued at the same time. All 1991–1993 "Classic" models came with the E16i and the choice of two transmissions, a 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic.