In the shadows
The Nissan Sentra has never been a runaway success like the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. Although sales were good, the Sentra never shared the limelight quite like its other Japanese cousins. The reason for this had to do, in my humble opinion, with the fact that the car itself never quite stirred any emotions in those that wanted a fun compact car. There was of course the 200SX which was more dynamically styled and available with a more powerful engine however, the sedan never really caught on.
The Nissan Sentra made its first appearance in 1982. Back then, the compact Japanese market was still embryonic. In the course of 1986, the small car underwent some changes and again, in 1991. This was when the car somewhat hit some success, perhaps not at the level that Nissan had hoped. The 2-door model became more potent with the addition of a zippy 2.0L and a host of other sporty must-haves including 4-wheel disc brakes. The saloon still missed the mark sales-wise when compared the Civics and Corollas.
Styling
The 1995 model year saw the arrival of the B14 Sentra, all-new from the ground up. The new compact grew in length and girth. The redesign served to clean up and sharpen the previous generation into a car that looked more serious. The car looked narrower and taller and looked more grown-up. The fact remained though that it still lacked any semblance of attractiveness. This was the case for the sedan. On the other hand, the coupe faired much better in the looks department. Lopping-off two doors gave the car more life. The steeply-rakes rear window had much to do with it, not to mention the available 15" wheels. In 1998, both body styles received a slight update to the front and rear fascias which did not create any new sparks.
The cabin of the car suffered a small drop in quality. That is not to say that interior looks bad, it simply meant that the better materials fell to the way side. The design was bluntly simple and functional. The new car plastics looked better than they felt and the fit and finish was still rather acceptable.
The seats were flat both up front and in the rear. Although not uncomfortable, their lack of support and extra firmness due to very thin cushions reflected the lower price range of the car. Interior volume was generous enough to accommodate four adults however the addition of a third person in the rear would result in a fair level of discomfort.
The Nissan Sentra has never been a runaway success like the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. Although sales were good, the Sentra never shared the limelight quite like its other Japanese cousins. The reason for this had to do, in my humble opinion, with the fact that the car itself never quite stirred any emotions in those that wanted a fun compact car. There was of course the 200SX which was more dynamically styled and available with a more powerful engine however, the sedan never really caught on.
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The Nissan Sentra made its first appearance in 1982. Back then, the compact Japanese market was still embryonic. In the course of 1986, the small car underwent some changes and again, in 1991. This was when the car somewhat hit some success, perhaps not at the level that Nissan had hoped. The 2-door model became more potent with the addition of a zippy 2.0L and a host of other sporty must-haves including 4-wheel disc brakes. The saloon still missed the mark sales-wise when compared the Civics and Corollas.
Styling
The 1995 model year saw the arrival of the B14 Sentra, all-new from the ground up. The new compact grew in length and girth. The redesign served to clean up and sharpen the previous generation into a car that looked more serious. The car looked narrower and taller and looked more grown-up. The fact remained though that it still lacked any semblance of attractiveness. This was the case for the sedan. On the other hand, the coupe faired much better in the looks department. Lopping-off two doors gave the car more life. The steeply-rakes rear window had much to do with it, not to mention the available 15" wheels. In 1998, both body styles received a slight update to the front and rear fascias which did not create any new sparks.
The cabin of the car suffered a small drop in quality. That is not to say that interior looks bad, it simply meant that the better materials fell to the way side. The design was bluntly simple and functional. The new car plastics looked better than they felt and the fit and finish was still rather acceptable.
The seats were flat both up front and in the rear. Although not uncomfortable, their lack of support and extra firmness due to very thin cushions reflected the lower price range of the car. Interior volume was generous enough to accommodate four adults however the addition of a third person in the rear would result in a fair level of discomfort.
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