America’s cheapest car is getting a facelift for 2026, including a nip for the tech and a tuck in the design. 

But like any 43-year-old post-plastic surgery, the bones remain the same. 

The Nissan Sentra, now in its eighth remodel since debuting in 1982, will start at $23,000. 

At the front, it showcases a jagged, tooth-like grille. At the back, there’s a LED brake light stretching across the width, and the seats now offer an option for quilted leather upholstery.

The small sedan grows slightly, adding 0.4 inches and now offering the most second-row legroom in its class. 

The Japanese automaker also added 12.3-inch digital screens behind the steering wheel and in the middle of the dash. 

But it’s still inspired by a tiny 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that drivers have called loud and slow. 

‘Love the styling and the interior looks a lot better now,’ a Nissan fan said on Reddit.  ‘But the carried over powertrain is super disappointing.’ 

The Sentra gets a modern upgrade for 2026, including a new grill and tooth-like fangs underneath the headlights 

The interior gets tech upgrades, including two bigger screens and options for quilted leather seats 

Like many new vehicles, the Sentra’s boot comes with an LED light bar

However, the fuel economy has declined for the coming year’s version, with Nissan predicting the sedan will consume one gallon of gas every 29 miles in city driving and 38 miles on the highway.

It previously boasted 30 miles in stop-and-go traffic and 40 miles on the beltway. 

Next year, the Sentra will become extremely important. Its expected $23,000 base price will be the cheapest in the US market. 

“I’m really eager to spend time getting familiar with the new Sentra since I frequently recommended the previous model,” Robby DeGraff, a product and consumer insights specialist at AutoPacific, told the Daily Mail.

‘It’s a great car for those who want to stay out of the used market and go new, despite affordability woes.’ 

Nissan has reportedly considered moving the Sentra’s production to the US to maintain that pricing title and avoid automotive tariffs. 

But the Sentra is not gaining the low-cost title because it cut the price: its cheap competitors dropped out of the market.  

In late 2024, Mitsubishi discontinued the sub-$20,000 Mirage. Nissan followed up in May of this year, announcing its smaller Versa would end production before the 2026 model year.  

The 2025 Nissan Sentra featured a standard sedan’s silhouette, including a long hood and a prominent trunk

In 2026, the Sentra’s side profile connects the roofline with the trunk, giving it a near sportback resemblance

American drivers are facing serious economic consequences – including delinquencies and reposessions – because few low-cost vehicles like the Sentra remain on the market 

The only other challenger left is the Kia K4 sedan, with a $23,165 base price. 

Car companies have been slashing their low-cost sedans and changing their dealerships to almost exclusively truck and SUV lots. 

Chevy hasn’t built a sedan since nixing the Malibu in November 2024, while Ford stopped production of the Fusion in 2020.  

Only a few small, cheap sedans are left, and they’re all built by foreign brands including the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Volkswagen Jetta, and Honda Civic. 

The turn to SUVs and trucks has been a contributing factor in America’s ever-expanding debt crisis in the automotive sector. 

Today’s average new vehicle price is $49,929, according to Automotive News, while car repairs hit 15 percent inflation in August. 

‘Though some automakers have abandoned the entry-level segment altogether, those who have should take note of Nissan’s firm commitment to still offering budget-conscious buyers with a quality, value-packed product,’ DeGraff added.  

That toxic mix of high dealership prices and high maintenance costs have forced a record number of drivers into delinquency, default and repossessions. 

Experts are warning those debts are starting to look similar to the 2008 housing crisis.

‘Families are in an economic pressure cooker,’ Erin Witte, the director of consumer protection at the Consumer Federation of America, warned. 

‘Expensive car loans are rapidly jeopardizing their ability to avoid disastrous outcomes like delinquency and repossession.’