New 2026 Sentra is Slightly More Expensive as Nissan’s Cheapest Car

Compact cars have not escaped inflation in recent years, but some are fighting it better than others.

We pretty much expected Nissan to substantially raise the prices of its redesigned 2026 Sentra, given what the company previously did with the next-generation Kicks. On the other hand, the recent discontinuation of the Versa subcompact sedan has likely helped keep those hikes to a reasonable level.

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Here’s how the 2026 Nissan Sentra lineup goes:

What this means is that the base price has increased by $1,370, or just under 6%. In reality, however, the manual Sentra is no longer available for 2026, so the cheapest model has only gone up by $695.

In addition to its refreshed exterior design, Nissan's compact sedan boasts a much more modern interior, as evidenced by the new displays on the dashboard, with the infotainment system being compatible as standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Comfort and safety have also been improved, but the engine remains the same 149-horsepower four-cylinder unit (7.1-7.2 L/100 km on average) in all models.

The sportier-looking Sentra SR has jumped by just $620, while the top-of-the-line SR Premium is now $850 more expensive.

In short, the new 2026 Sentra becomes Nissan's most affordable vehicle and will avoid putting too much of a strain on buyers' budgets. That said, there are lower-priced competitors out there (Hyundai Elantra with a base MSRP of $22,999, Kia K4 at $23,995, Toyota Corolla at $24,520, Mazda3 at $25,250), and no hybrid or high-performance variants are currently available.

To learn more about the 2026 Nissan Sentra, be sure to read our first driving impressions that we posted a short while ago following a trip to Arizona.