Sleek, fresh return of an old favourite

A FRESH new look Nissan Sentra recently made its début in South Africa. The Sentra returns to the country after the last Sentra rolled from the production line in 2005.

The new 13th-generation Sentra has been launched again because South Africans have many fond memories of the Sentra and Nissan felt the need to reintroduce this model to the local market.

The new Sentra marks this brand’s return to the hotly contested C-segment sedan category where it will face some formidable competition.

There is no doubt that the Sentra, with its sleek and stylish looks and superb interior space is certain to create a stir in this segment.

According to Nissan South Africa, the new Sentra is the new flagship of their passenger car range.

The new Sentra is designed around key consumer requirements for efficiency, space maximisation, performance and high build quality.

The bold new chrome front grille introduces a sculpted front with the headlights continuing the swooping theme as they wrap around into the front fenders. The classy LED accent park lights lend the Sentra a futuristic presence at night. The fat-blade windscreen wipers are hidden neatly below the bonnet’s trailing edge.

The door handles are chrome plated and accented. The stylish 16-inch alloy wheels with its low side profile offers a sporty yet smart look. Designers created a purposeful yet attractive rear with angular and prominent tail lights which also incorporate smart LED lights to further enhance the sleek look of the Sentra.

The interior of the Sentra is light years ahead of former models, considering the space for front and rear passengers.

The wheelbase is 2,700mm and boasts with 510 litres of boot space. Note worthy too is the increased shoulder room, up to 30mm and a 15 mm increase in door depth.

The cockpit’s design is simple and space conscious with a visual appeal and exemplary ergonomics. The multi-function steering wheel is tilt and reach adjustable with neat black cloth upholstery.

The Sentra impresses with its high performance shock absorbers which help to reduce noise and vibration by impact shocks while producing a supple ride for its driver and passengers.

The front suspension is an independent Macpherson strut set-up with a stabiliser bar and the rear features a torsion beam layout which also features a stabilising bar.

Powering the new Sentra is a 1,6 four-cylinder normally aspirated petrol engine which is coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox.

The automatic model’s gearbox is Nissan’s smart CVT (continuously variable transmission) unit. This engine produces a lively 85kW at 5 600rpm and 154Nm at 4 000rpm.

The Nissan Sentra 1,6 Accenta manual is now available at BB Auto Polokwane and costs in the region of R230 900. Service intervals is every 15 0000km. The service plan is for three years or 90 000km. The warranty and road side assistance is for three years or 100 000km as is for the paint and mechanical warranty. The anti-corrosion warranty is for three years or unlimited kilometers.

To view or book a test drive with the new Sentra, visit BB Auto Polokwane at 20 Excelsior Street or call them at (015) 287 1300.