In a world where sedans and hatchbacks are disappearing, the Nissan Sentra soldiers on. The Japanese brand sold 77,123 Sentras in the US for 2022, a significant year-over-year drop of almost 40 percent but still enough to be the third-best seller in Nissan’s lineup. Now, we see a mid-cycle refresh is on the way.
Caught recently on the damp streets of Detroit, the term facelift is appropriate here as the front clip holds a majority of the changes. Our spy sources believe this is a sporty SR model, identified by the black roof which isn’t offered on lower trim levels at this time. Solid camo coverings on the corners of the fascia could mean the driving lamps will go away. Perhaps that’s why Nissan’s driver is so upset with the photographer snapping pics.
To the automaker’s credit, the camo coverings on the front do a great job of hiding details regarding possible changes to the grille. Zooming in very close, we don’t see any break in the horizontal body line running between the upper corners of the headlights. The current model has a slight arch in the middle to make room for the prominent Nissan badge, so there are definitely some changes coming to the grille. We believe the V-motion design is still in there, but it’s connecting to a redesigned lower fascia.
At the rear, changes are very minor at best. Only the lower fascia wears camouflage wrap, and the outline we see for the center insert matches the current model. If anything, some minor styling difference on that insert could be coming. Horizontal reflectors on the sides of the fascia are in the same location. Somewhat amusingly, Nissan applies black tape to the badges on the trunk but it’s easy to see the outline of the SR badge on the far right.
We’ve heard nothing about interior changes at this time. Peaking through the side glass, we see no covers on the dash and the center tablet-style touchscreen appears identical to the current model. Similarly, there’s nothing in the rumor mill regarding powertrain changes; the 2023 Sentra uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder mill generating 149 horsepower, sent to the front wheels through a CVT in North America.
Nissan is good at keeping secrets. It’s not uncommon to catch a prototype in public just weeks or even days ahead of a reveal. This is likely a 2024 model-year vehicle, so we expect an official debut sooner rather than later.
