Nissan Motor Company's Carlos Ghosn took center stage at his company's day-two press conference at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. The highly-admired President and CEO described the product attributes of the all-new 2007 Nissan Sentra, the Nissan URGE Concept car and the subcompact 2007 Nissan Versa, all making their debuts in Detroit, and touted them as "three appealing players under $20,000."

"When you change the way you look at things, anything can happen," enthused Ghosn. "It's the Nissan spirit and the Nissan 'Shift'," not only referring to the triumvirate of new and exciting models, but also to the increase in Nissan sales that Ghosn reports have nearly doubled over the past five years.

The fresh and innovative 2007 Nissan Sentra, now repositioned in the American market, is longer and wider and "sized like no other Sentra before." Engineered with Renault and based on the European Megane II platform, the 2007 Sentra moves up the product ladder, leaving room for the new Versa which replaces it as Nissan's entry-level player. The new Sentra is the first American vehicle built on this global Renault platform.

The 2007 Nissan Sentra wears styling closely associated with its larger and more upscale siblings, the Altima and Maxima, and boasts "thoughtfully-designed storage solutions." It has 97.7 cubic feet of passenger volume, growing by more than nine cubic feet over its predecessor. Notable features include a 60/40-split double-folding rear seat that allows stowage of the head restraints; a trunk divider and hidden storage compartment; and a center console crafted with multiple stowage locations.

Under the hood is an all-new 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine, available with a choice of a standard six-speed manual transmission or Nissan's fuel-saving Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). Standard are a new electronic power steering system; a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS); front active head restraints; and an advanced audio system. Optional amenities include leather-appointed seating and Nissan's Intelligent Key keyless entry system. The 2007 Nissan Sentra will go on sale later in the year and will be followed by a performance Sentra SE-R version five months later.

Photo by Ron Perry