Nissan raised the base price of the 2027 Sentra by just $290 — and that might be the only simple number in this whole story. Beyond that, things get messy fast: pricing didn't move the same way across the lineup, and that's where it gets interesting. The S now starts at $22,890. The SV climbed by $220. The SR, oddly enough, got $10 cheaper. And the SL held steady at $27,990. The mandatory destination fee is still $1,245, pushing the real minimum to $24,135.
Mechanically, nothing's new under the hood. The naturally aspirated 2.0-liter MR20DD still makes the same 149 horsepower and 146 lb-ft of torque as before. Nissan left the Xtronic CVT's hardware untouched — but reworked the calibration. The automaker promises more linear acceleration, sharper throttle response, and more predictable behavior. The tweaks, Nissan says, came straight from customer feedback — though plenty of owners were probably hoping for more than a firmware update.
Fuel economy hasn't budged a decimal point. The S and SV still land around 33 mpg combined on the EPA cycle, while the SR and SL sit near 32 mpg. In other words, the new CVT tuning is entirely about how the car feels — not about squeezing out extra range. If you were hoping for better efficiency, look elsewhere.
The SR now gets access to a $650 Midnight Edition package: black 18-inch wheels, blacked-out badging, black window trim, and a contrasting Super Black roof. The Sentra also picks up Qi2 wireless charging across the board. Nissan's implementation uses magnetic alignment and delivers up to 15 watts — so charging speed finally depends less on how precisely your phone lands on the pad.
There's no generational leap here, and none was expected. The fully redesigned Sentra debuted for the 2026 model year, bringing dual 12.3-inch displays as standard, ProPILOT Assist on upper trims, and an expanded suite of safety tech. It later became the first Sentra to earn IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+.
So the 2027 model is more interesting to judge by two details than by the blackout trim. Nissan is trying to sharpen the CVT's behavior without touching the powertrain itself — while barely moving the price at all. The SR and SL break the logic entirely: technically, you can't call the whole 2027 Sentra lineup "more expensive." That's the paradox.
