The new Nissan Sentra could lose the manual gearbox but make more power

The new Nissan Sentra could lose the manual gearbox but make more power

You could choose one option for the powertrain.

Nissan will launch an updated Sentra. The next generation Nissan Sylphy was shown earlier this year. In August, our spy photographers took a thinly camouflaged Sentra to test, including the interior. It featured a six speed manual gearbox. A new report by CarsDirect suggests that the manual gearbox in the Sentra is now dead. It cites an earlier order guide.

According to the publication, there is only one powertrain listed for the Sentra: a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder coupled with a continuously variable transmission. That’s it. There is no six-speed manual and no 1.6-liter turbocharged engine listed. The 2.0-liter engine is also larger than the 1.8-liter naturally aspirated version. The 2.0-liter engine is a power boost over the outgoing model. It produces 124 horsepower (92 Kilowatts) as well as 125 pound-feet (1169 Newton-meters), of torque in the current Sentra, when it’s paired with the CVT. This brings the total power to 149 HP (111 kW) or 145 lbft (196 Nm), depending on the order.

This is an early order guide and may not be the whole story. This new order guide may indicate that Nissan will launch the new Sentra only with the 2.0-liter engine, CVT and additional powertrains and gearboxes. This could explain why the manual-equipped test mules that our spy photographers captured earlier in the year.

The new Nissan will get more than a power boost and new clothes when it arrives. Nissan Safety Shield 360 is the company’s safety suite that includes blind-spot warnings, auto high beams and automatic emergency braking. It will be available in all trims of the Sentra line regardless of the option packages. Nissan will also change the rear suspension from a Torsion beam to a multilink setup.

The Los Angeles Auto Show is just around the corner and there’s a chance Nissan will unveil the new Sentra. Keep checking back in the coming weeks.