Sentra Snaps Back

Dale Jewett

Nissan takes its small sedan back to its high-volume Performance-oriented roots.

Much like Pamela Ewing's infamous "dream" season on TV soap opera Dallas, Nissan would rather people just forget about the Sentra sedan that sat in showrooms the past five years.

Conceived in an era of extreme cost cutting among all Japanese manufacturers, the Sentra introduced for the 1995 model year (platform: HF) was stripped of content, felt cheap and was saddled with ungainly looks from Nissan's Japan styling studios.

As a result, the Sentra just sat in the showroom -- sales plunged from nearly 135,000 milts in 1993 to a mere 63,100 last year. In 1999, Honda sold nearly five times as many Civics, and Toyota sold nearly four times as many Corollas.

Now, Nissan says, the real Sentra has returned. The 2000 model (platform: HS) that rolls into dealerships in late February is bigger, more powerful and better equipped at prices expected to start at least $500 less than the car it replaces.

Topping it off is a CA (for Clean Air) model, to be sold only in California, It's the first, non-hybrid powertrain that meets the state's super ultra-low emissions vehicle (SULEV) standard and is so clean that it earns Nissan credits as a zero-emissions vehicle in advance of the state's 2003 mandate.

A key goal for the new Sentra was that it not look or feel cheap, says Mark Parking, Nissan's category marketing manager for cars. The Sentra uses a global platform shared with six other Nissan vehicles sold in Japan and Europe. Savings from the shared platform were invested in equipment tailored to the North America market. "This is not a world car," Parry says.

Engineers put a high priority on reducing noise, vibration and harshness. The addition of a third floor pan crossmember helped increase torsional rigidity by 30 percent compared to the previous model. Other changes include the use of recycled PET plastic, instead of cotton shoddy, underneath the carpet as a sound deadener; thicker door glass; larger air cleaner and resonator, and four engine mounts, one of them liquid filled. Handling was improved with a stiffer front suspension and a stiffer lateral link in the mar beam suspension. The sporty SE trim level adds a steel brace that connects the front strut towers, and firmer bushings.

The exterior was designed at Nissan Design International NDI in San Diego, while the interior design came from Nissan's European design studio. "We wanted a design with heft and substantiality," says Jerry Hirshberg, president of NDI. "The first thing we did was eliminate `entry level' from our thinking. This doesn't feel like a rental car."

At 177.5 inches long, the beefier Sentra is six inches longer than its predecessor. But its 99.8-inch wheelbase is unchanged, so all the additional length went to the car's front and rear overhangs, not the passenger compartment. The new Sentra is one inch taller, for more headroom, and almost one inch wider. The changes have boosted the car's passenger volume slightly to 88.5 cubic feet -- that's on par with the Corolla, but nearly 1.5 cubic feet less than the Civic and nearly six cubic feet less than the Ford Focus.

All Sentras are fitted with a tilt steering wheel, seat belt pretensioners, height-adjustable driver's seat and electric rear window defroster. The mid-level GXE trim, expected to be the high-volume model, includes air conditioning, cruise control, power mirrors, power windows, power locks and a 100-watt radio and CD player. A dash-mounted 6-disc CD player is optional, as is a tooth-rattling 180-watt sound system. Seat-mounted side-impact airbags, bundled with anti-lock brakes, are optional on the GXE and SE models.

Nissan especially seeks to reclaim its engineering heritage under the Sentra's hood. The base engine is the QC18DE 1.8L dohc inline four, replacing last year's 1.6L. The changes help the new Sentra sprint from 0-60 mph nearly one second faster than the '99 model, even though the '00 Sentra weighs an extra 150 pounds. (See drive review, p.22)

For performance enthusiasts, the Sentra SE carries the SR20DE 2.0L dohc four from the "pocket rocket" SE-Rs of previous Sentras and the 200SX. The variable-volume muffler, a longer intake manifold, a new intake camshaft and lighter engine components help the engine pump out 145 hp at 6,400 rpm and 136 pounds-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm. A performance package option on the SE includes a viscous limited-slip differential with the manual transmission.

Nissan engineers privately acknowledge that the SE-R badge is being held in reserve for an even more potent powerplant due a year or two from now.

Either engine can be mated to a four-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission, of the five-speed manual with a hydraulic actuation system in place of the old cable control. Beefier front and rear stabilizer bars aid handling, while a new rack mount for the rack and pinion steering greatly enhances steering feel.

The new Sentra is assembled at Nissan's plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, where each car will be test driven before it is shipped, Parry says.

How good does Nissan feel about this car? Parry expects Sentra sales to jump to 115,000 units in its first year, and rise to up to 130,000 units its second year.

That would make for an unforgettable turnaround for the Sentra, and Nissan.

RELATED ARTICLE: Nissan's Clean Machine

In the race to keep up with California's clean-air regulations, Nissan's engineers have developed a powertrain they say is cleaner in use than many other vehicles when parked.

Engineering the Sentra CA to be able to qualify as a super ultra-low emission vehicle (SULEV) required a number of changes to the engine and fuel system.

The CA starts with the Sentra's 1.8L I-4 engine. Changes include:

* An electronically control swirl valve in the intake.

* A dual-wall exhaust manifold, which helps retain heat for quicker catalyst light-off.

* Three three-way catalytic converters, two which also function as hydrocarbon traps.

* Three oxygen sensors, one in front of each catalyst.

Achieving SULEV status also meant eliminating evaporative emissions from the fuel system. To do so, Nissan engineers eliminated as many couplings as possible, switched to a metal fuel tank and a non-pressurized fuel system. The car also comes with a 15-year/150,000-mile emissions warranty.

The Sentra CA also features Engelhard Corp.'s PremAir radiator, which uses a catalytic coating to convert ozone molecules in the air passing through into oxygen.

What happens if a Sentra CA owner drives the car out of state and fills up with high-sulfur fuel? Performance and fuel economy won't be affected, Nissan engineers say, but the car won't meet SULEV emission limits.

The Sentra CA is not a solo effort, officials promise. The technology will be expanded to other vehicles in the lineup.

--DJ

COPYRIGHT 2000 Cahners Publishing Company
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group