With the renewed 2026 Nissan Sentra set to arrive shortly at Canadian dealerships, Auto123 has learned that it consumes more than the previous generation model.
Data obtained from Natural Resources Canada reveals an increase in consumption.
2026 marks the arrival of the ninth generation of Nissan’s compact sedan. It uses the same chassis and powertrain as the outgoing generation. However, it proves to be thirstier.
See: 2026 Nissan Sentra First Drive: Nothing Radical
According to the federal agency, the 2026 Nissan Sentra consumes 7.1L/100 km in combined driving for the S and SV versions. The rating is 7.9L/100 km city and 6.1L/100 km highway. For the SL and SR versions of the new Sentra, the combined fuel consumption jumps to 7.2L/100 km. In the city and on the highway, the rating is 8.0 and 6.4L/100 km, respectively.
Again according to data released by Natural Resources Canada, those figures are higher than the consumption ratings for the 2025 model-year. Indeed, the base model consumed as little as 6.6L/100 km in combined driving, while its city and highway ratings were 7.3 and 5.8L/100 km, respectively. In the case of the SR trim, it consumed 6.9L/100 km in combined driving, 7.4L/100 km in the city, and 6.1L/100 km on the highway.
Although a small portion of the clientele is decrying the disappearance of the manual transmission during the transition from the eighth to the ninth generation, it must be noted that it was more fuel-consuming than the Sentra equipped with a continuously variable automatic transmission.
The 2026 Nissan Sentra is powered by the same 2.0L 4-cylinder engine as before; it delivers 149 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque. The manufacturer offers no higher-performance engine nor any form of electrification for this model.
2026 Sentra: the new cheapest vehicle at Nissan?
It might be thirstier than its predecessor, but the new 2026 Nissan Sentra has a good chance of drawing in buyers since it becomes the most affordable vehicle in Nissan’s Canadian catalog, which no longer includes the Versa or the Kicks Play.
That is not confirmed fact, mind, since Nissan Canada has yet to announce pricing for the 2026 Sentra. We can reasonably assume, however, that its MSRP will be lower than that of the Kicks.