The Sentra is one of the models that helped drive the Nissan brand in the 90s. It may not have the same ‘classic’ status as the Civic or Corolla, but the Sentra has become a much-loved nameplate in the country. So, when Nissan Philippines renamed it the Sylphy way back in 2014, we wondered if the company was ever going to call it the Sentra at some point.
Unfortunately, we never got that answer because the compact sedan was discontinued in the local market a few years ago. The Sylphy was last sold in 2020 with no successor in place. The Sylphy may be gone in the Philippines but it’s still around in China. Meanwhile, the Sentra name lives on in North and South America, and it recently got a bit of a facelift this year.
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Slated for the 2024 model year, the new Sentra gets refreshed exterior styling, improved fuel economy and more premium features. The exterior updates include a new front fascia that follows Nissan’s current design language with a more aggressive V-Motion grille and sharper-looking bumpers. It also has restyled headlights and new wheel designs to keep it looking fresh in its class.
The interior is largely unchanged, but there are feature enhancements to keep the Sentra up to date in terms of features and safety tech. There are additional USB ports for the 2024 Sentra to keep devices charged on the go, and more variants get the Intelligent Around View Monitor and the eight-speaker Bose Premium Audio System.
Of course, the full suite of Nissan Intelligent Mobility features, dubbed Nissan Safety Shield 360 in North America, are standard on all variants. It includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, high beam assist, and rear automatic braking.
Powering the US version of the Sentra is a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine. No turbochargers here, just a good ol’ naturally aspirated mill. That engine produces 150hp and 198Nm of torque, so it’s a little behind the Honda Civic, but about on par with the Mazda3’s 2.0-liter.
However, the odds of the Sentra coming back to the Philippines appears slim. Nissan Philippines’ lineup mainly consists of crossovers, pickups, and SUVs, and it only sells one sedan, the Almera. Given that local consumers have been shifting to taller vehicles, it seems unlikely we’ll ever see a Sentra revival.
