LA Auto Show 2019

Nissan redesigns Sentra as a mini Maxima (and it looks really good)

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Nov 20, 2019, 12:00 am

The car comes with many features that add tremendous value to the low-cost sedan.

Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

Nissan completed their long-awaited redesign of their sedan lineup today with the unveiling of the 2019 Nissan Sentra. The fresh model take a lot of design inspiration from the Nissan Maxima and Altima, which is to be expected.

The compact car is built on a new platform for the 2019 model year. It is two inches lower and wider in its new iteration than in the previous generation. At the front is Nissan's signature V-motion grille, thin headlamps, and a floating roof. Sharp hood creases lead to muscular fender flares.

2020 Nissan Sentra SR side profile floating roof The car's floating roof is reminiscent of other Nissan models.Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

Available LED projector headlamps feature Nissan's signature LED daytime running lights. LED fog lamps are also available. Intelligent Headlights and high beam assist are standard on all new Sentras.

Sentra will come in eight paint colors for the 2020 model year: Blue Metallic, Brilliant Silver Metallic, Gun Metallic, Super Black, Aspen White TriCoat, Fresh Powder, Roswood Metallic, and Scarlet Ember TriCoat. A two-tone paint scheme is available in Super Black/Gun Metallic, Super Black/Aspen White TriCoat and Super Black/Monarch Orange Metallic combinations.

Every Sentra is powered by Nissan's 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 149 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque, a 20- and 16-percent increase, respectively. Nissan projects that the new engine is more fuel efficient than its predecessor which got 29 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. The engine is paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

2020 Nissan Sentra SR back rear tail end At its rear, the Sentra features encompassing taillights.Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

Nissan says it has improved the level of noise permeating the cabin by adding more soft acoustic material and improved sealants in the 2020 Sentra.

The company has also worked to improve the handling and responsiveness of the vehicle with a series of notable equipment additions and calibrations.

Inside, the Sentra is much improved though its looks and equipment are clearly from the Nissan parts bin. That's not a bad thing. Nissan delivers some of the best interiors in the business, especially when you consider the vehicle's value proposition. There are satin chrome aluminum accents, contrast seat stitching, and a standard D-shaped steering wheel that give the vehicle an up-market look. The wheel is smooth to the touch and there's available leather-appointed seats. Nissan has given the Sentra their heralded Zero Gravity front seats.

2020 Nissan Sentra SR interior wheel display screen shifter Contrast stitching and a standard D-shaped steering wheel make the Sentra sportier.Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

In front of the driver is a 4.2-inch information display and each Sentra comes standard with at least a 7-inch infotainment touch screen. Sentra SV and higher grades get a standard 8-inch touch screen. Bluetooth, hands-free calling, hands-free text messaging, Siri Eyes Free, and Google Assistant are also standard. Cars with the 8-inch screen get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard.

Heated front seats and outside mirrors, and remote engine start are available as are adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree view monitor.

2020 Nissan Sentra SR wheel display screen shifter speedometer cup holders Nissan has given the Sentra features that are found throughout the automaker's lineup.Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

The Sentra comes standard with Nissan Safety Shield 360, a suite of six driver-assist systems that includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, high beam assist, rear automatic braking. Rear door alert is also standard.

The 2020 Nissan Sentra will come in three trim levels: S, SV, and SR. Only two packages are available. Sentra S includes 16-inch steel wheels with full covers, remote keyless entry with push button start, and center console with storage in addition to other features.

Sentra SV adds, most notably, 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with all-season tires, NissanConnect, dual-zone automatic climate control, adaptive cruise control, and an upgraded cloth interior.

2020 Nissan Sentra SR front The front of the car features Nissan's signature boomerang grille.Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

On the Sentra SR there are 18-inch diamond-cut aluminum-alloy wheels wrapped in all-season tires, a dark chrome V-motion grille, LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED fog lights, chrome exhaust finisher, a sport cloth interior with orange stitching, rear spoiler, and lower body side sill extensions.

The 2020 Nissan Sentra will go on sale in the U.S. in January. Pricing will be announced in a few weeks.

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Off-Roading

2022 Nissan Pathfinder is just as confident on-road as off

The Nissan Pathfinder is just at home on the trial as it is on the road.

Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

One of my favorite poems is Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken". The message is about making choices and, how the road taken made all the difference. Often in life and on the road, we have to make one choice. Take one road. No turning back. I thought of this poem on my recent test drive in the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder in the hinterlands of Montana, when I could take two different roads—paved and dirt—and that made all the difference!

Nissan has redesigned and retooled its fifth-generation Pathfinder instilling greater latitude for buyers who want to travel both types of roads and expand their adventure footprint. After seven decades of off-road development, 35 years in the business of selling Pathfinders, and with more than 1.8 million sold in the U.S., this Japanese automaker has moved the needle with a ground-up revision of the previous-gen model.

2022 Nissan Pathfinder The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is a capable off-roader.Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

The full-sized sport utility is available in four trims (S, SV, SL and Platinum) and two- and four-wheel drive versions; Nissan expects that nearly 60 percent of buyers will choose four-wheel drive. The Pathfinder is in a segment that has grown larger each year as more families want a vehicle for around-town, school and playdate runs and for weekend getaways with traction technology that allows travel in the backcountry and good towing capability. Direct competitors are the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, and Ford Explorer.

A day-long drive of approximately 150 miles on tarmac and over a variety of dirt roads and tracks provided the opportunity to assess the Pathfinder's updates. A late-spring snowstorm added slickness to all the road surfaces in the region and allowed the Pathfinder to show off its traction capabilities at both slow and higher speeds and with lane change and emergency-braking maneuvers, when towing. I concentrated my evaluation on the augmented hardware and software designed to enhance the crossover's capabilities for backcountry travel and towing.

What I found most notable over every road surface was the comfortable ride and responsive handling that come from a collection of upgrades—and, in particular, as a result of the following: the gearing on the new nine-speed transmission, with paddle shifters for personal and more precise shifting for sport driving and slowing over rough terrain; the new terrain mode system that's engineered for different driving conditions; the four-wheel drive system that moves torque more quickly to avoid wheel slip; the improved suspension system; and new tires with a larger contact patch and more aggressive tread pattern, among other changes.

2022 Nissan Pathfinder Pathfinder's drive modes are designed to inspire confidence. Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

The Pathfinder provided sure-footed motoring and comfort over uneven surfaces. Its 7.1 inches of ground clearance easily maneuvered over the small obstacles on the trail and hill descent control took the reigns without hesitation for steeper and longer downhills on traction-compromised surfaces.

I was also impressed with the Pathfinder's towing competence and appreciated the standard trailer sway control onboard all trims. It offered notably strong, mannered acceleration from a standing start and excellent straight-line braking without porpoising for either exercise.

The new 2022 Pathfinder brings off-road and towing attributes that are important to families who are seeking to spend time in the backcountry for days trips and longer and for overlanding in terrain that doesn't require a true off-road vehicle with a low range. It's will appeal to buyers who want don't want to have to choose only one road.

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One-Day Drive

First Drive Review: 2022 Nissan Pathfinder goes rugged, acts refined

The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder arrives on dealer lots this summer.

Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder doesn't have to be capable of rock crawling or deep water fording. What it has to do is service the needs of families in their daily life and give them the opportunity to competently go off-roading on rocky trails should they desire. The new, fifth-generation models does just that and adds in enough nifty features to make it among the most compelling choices for three-row SUV buyers.

The 2022 Pathfinder is thoroughly modern though not the boxy off-roader it once was. The SUV's styling harkens back to that time with a tilted, darkened C-pillar and a return to a more muscular body style. That styling makes straightforward visibility good but for shorter drivers seeing what is immediately in front of the grille is a challenge that necessitates using surround view camera technology (available only in upper trim levels) when navigating challenging terrain.

2022 Nissan Pathfinder The Pathfinder can easily handle the roads less traveled.Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

Under the hood is a 3.5-liter V6 that offers up 291 horsepower and torque - plenty to do the job without complaint. The SUV's nine-speed automatic transmission replaces the continuously variable transmission (CVT) from the previous generation and delivers smooth shifts. Though low-end torque isn't as robust as I like it to be, once up over 35 mph, the Pathfinder's powertrain delivers smooth, powerful sailing.

The redesigned architecture and components underpinning the Pathfinder make it stable on the road and don't allow it to wallow on winding roads. Even off-road, the suspension provides the right blend of stability while the drive dynamics allowing the driver to feel engaged with their surroundings whether on freshly paved roads, city streets, or muddy trails.

Nissan has given the Pathfinder a 6,000-pound towing capacity and even when maxed out the engine's functionality is strong as ever. The transmission can get held up in a gear mid-range when performing this function, however, with 5,000-6,000 rpms registering on the tachometer but a quick release of the gas pedal recalibrates the offering bringing it down to a more traditional 2,000 rpm range.

The eight-seater Pathfinder clearly has the Toyota Highlander in its sights, with good reason. It's the top-selling three-row SUV in the country. Nissan boasts that three adults can fit across the rear bench seat of the Pathfinder and, as long as they're average size or smaller, the marketing talking point holds up. There is gobs more room back there than there is in the Highlander.

2022 Nissan Pathfinder Nissan has given the Pathfinder ample cargo space.Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

Getting in and out of the third row is easy thanks to one-touch buttons on the outboard side of the second-row chairs that move the SUV's captain's seats forward creating enough room to get through to the back. Smartly, Nissan's engineers have put duplicates of these buttons on the back side of the same seats allowing third-row passengers to simply press the button to move the seat up.

The third row can also be accessed via a split between the captain's chairs as well, a space traditionally occupied by a center stowage bin/cup holders/arm rest. Owners can quickly remove the center console by opening a panel on the front and pulling the release mechanism. The one-handed operation takes seconds and the console can be easily stored in the under-floor trunk space behind the third row seat for ease.

Speaking of cargo space... The Pathfinder is one of the most spacious midsize SUVs on the market today for both passengers and cargo. There is a substantial amount of room behind the third-row seat and the under-floor storage area is nearly twice the size of the one in the Highlander. Plus, it has a feature that allows the area cover to be automatically propped up when pushed up by a user. This is especially help when carrying groceries or plants home and keeps them from being crushed.

The first- and second-row seats are suitably comfortable, even for extended periods of time and standard trig-zone climate control makes finding the right in-cabin mix easy. Bottle holders in the pockets of the front doors are exceptionally large, fitting even bulky water bottles.

2022 Nissan Pathfinder The Pathfinder's front row seats are comfortable.Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

In front of the driver is a standard tachometer, speedometer, and 7.0-inch driver information display. Buyers can upgrade to a fully digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster and head-up display but they're not reason enough to upgrade to the top-tier Pathfinder Platinum on their own.

Nissan packs the new Pathfinder with a host of desirable features that make living with the Pathfinder easier including one-touch auto up/down windows, a wireless phone charger, grocery hooks in the rear cargo area, USB ports in all three rows, second-row sunshades, rear door keyless entry, wireless Apple CarPlay, and a motion-activated lift gate.

The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is priced to start at $33,410 for the two-wheel drive S base model and $35,310 for the four-wheel drive S base model. The model tops out around $50,000 with destination and delivery included, which seems fair when comparing the Pathfinder to other vehicles in the market.

2022 Nissan Pathfinder The Pathfinder can tow up to 6,000 pounds.Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

If you're thinking of purchasing a Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Honda Pilot, or Highlander, do yourself a favor and schedule a test drive of the new Pathfinder when it arrives at a dealer lot near you. You may just be surprised how seamlessly it fits into your daily life compared to the competition.

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