Japanese automaker Nissan has never struggled when it comes to designing vehicles Americans will buy. Dependable, modern, and affordable, Nissan makes some of the most popular vehicles on the market. When experts and consumers both felt its 2019 Sentra sedan fell flat, Nissan came back in full-force with a completely new and redesigned 2020 Nissan Sentra. So what do you get with the newest Nissan Sentra?

Nissan Sentra: what’s new for 2020

For the 2020 model year, Nissan is changing gears with a complete redesign of the Sentra sedan. According to Cars.com, “the outgoing Sentra generation was not good.” Lacking the sophistication and modern amenities of its competitors, the 2019 Nissan Sentra could certainly use the upgrade. In an effort to bring the Sentra up into the ranks of its other vehicles, the “2020 edition is not just improved, it’s good.”

Fulfilling its promise of a revived Sentra, “the only thing that that’s not new for 2020 is the name of the car,” according to Car and Driver. The 2020 Nissan Sentra gets an entirely new platform, suspension, and an improved, more powerful engine. The exterior and interior styling of the Sentra is also redesigned, loaded with new and improved features.

The Nissan Sentra’s upgrades in standard safety

A major improvement for the 2020 model year is the Sentra’s new suite of standard safety features. According to Nissan, the Sentra receives a slew of improvements in the way of airbags and structural design. But the 2020 Nissan Sentra also gets Safety Shield 360, a suite of advanced driver safety features.

This means all Sentra models come standard with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, a rearview monitor, rear sonar system, rear automatic braking, intelligent engine brake, active ride control, and intelligent driver alertness. While basic cruise control comes standard on base models, intelligent cruise control comes standard on all other available trims.

What features come standard on the Nissan Sentra?

The Nissan Sentra is offered in just three trim variants for the 2020 model year. The base model, Sentra S, comes with a starting price of just over $19,000.

The middle-trim, the SV, has a starting price at just over $20,000. And the Sentra SR, the highest trim available, starts at an impressive $21,400, according to Nissan.

Both S and SV trims earn an estimated 29 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. The SR trim isn’t quite as efficient, earning an estimated 28 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

All Sentra variants come standard with the only engine available, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 149 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque. This engine is paired to a new CVT (continuously variable transmission) and independent rear suspension that improved driving dynamics.

The base Sentra S comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels, while the middle trim earns you 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels. The sportier Sentra SR comes standard with 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels. All models come with push-button ignition and new choices for exterior colors.

According to Edmunds, base models come standard with an improved, 7-inch touchscreen and a 4.2-inch drive-assist display. Only the Sentra’s upper two trim variants come standard with the NissanConnect system, paired to an 8-inch touchscreen and 7-inch drive-assist display.

These two trims are also where you’ll get standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, though Bluetooth and voice-activation features come standard on all.

Available options and packages

Nissan drastically improved the Sentra sedan’s features and therefore streamlined its trims, now offering a shortlist of options. Only two options packages are available, on SV and SR variants.

The SV Premium Package costs nearly $2,500 and adds multiple features like larger, all-season tires, projector LED headlights, a moonroof, heated seats, and more.

The SR Premium Package will cost owners just more than $2,100. It adds even more than the previous package, such as a heated steering wheel, premium audio system, intelligent AroundView monitor, leather seats, and more.