A car exalted

Talk about a loaded car. When Nissan introduced its spruced-up Sentra in March last year, the car rolled off showroom floors with a level of features unheard of in its market segment. The top-model variant, called the Sentra Exalta, sported not only the usual leather seats and faux wood grain trim combo, but boasted of a sunroof, a 12-disc CD player and a hands-free operation cell phone cradle as well.

The car’s features were truly above and beyond its class, but with a price tag just a wee bit more expensive than its competitors, Nissan had definitely concocted the perfect recipe that appealed to most local buyers, creating a car that was a Pinoy bourgeoisie’s dream ride, if ever there was one.

Now, the carmaker is stretching things further. Last week, Nissan Motors Philippines, Inc. (NMPI) took the wraps off the all-new 2001 Nissan Sentra Exalta, a car loaded with even more stuff than the model it replaces. According to the company, this all-new car will set out to create a new standard in sedans, zeroing in on luxury and innovation, while fusing it with advanced technology.

The result, Nissan added, is a product that can be positioned to rival some medium-sized cars available in the local market, creating a sub M-class genre.

As NMPI’s executive vice president Jack Wu said, they built a car that has "the same feeling and comfort of a medium-sized car at a price accessible to the sedan market." He added, though, that the company went beyond mere styling, with the new car boasting of bigger space and above-class performance and technology, further redefining the value expected from sedans.

Truly loaded

And loaded the car is. Available in top-model variants are equipment not offered by competitors in this class. Stuff like a VCD entertainment system with a screen that pops out of the dashboard, and a heads-up digispeed display, which is an LED digital speedometer on the car’s windshield.

The Exalta has also been equipped with a hands-free audiophone system, which recharges mobile phones and allows drivers to receive calls automatically while driving, and a digital rear distance warning system. This last feature works with the rear backing-up sensor, displaying the information on the rear-view mirror. Neat too are the steering wheel-mounted stereo controls. Now you can easily increase the volume to listen to Westlife better. Or – considering it’s Westlife – turn the stereo off, all without taking your hands off the wheel.

Inside the car’s two-tone, predominantly-beige color scheme, luxury features include leather seats, leather steering wheel with wood grain finish trims, Clarion six-disc CD changer, several overhead lamps, and a rear window sunshade. Door panels are also trimmed with leather and wood grain.

Safety concerns are also well taken care of. The car has ABS with electronic force distribution, four-wheel disc brakes, driver’s side SRS airbag and speed-sensing door locks.

Two new powerplants are available, the choice depending on which model buyers opt for. The higher-end variants get the 1.6-liter DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder motor while other models get essentially the same 1.5-liter engine. Both engines have electronic fuel injection systems managed by Nissan’s electronic concentrated engine control system (ECCS). Two transmissions are offered as well: a four-speed electronic automatic with overdrive or a five-speed manual box.

Cefiro look

On the outside, the new Sentra Exalta shares its Cefiro sibling’s look, although rendered on a smaller scale. Styling is clean and understated, with various chrome bits and pieces adding a dash of flair. The car rolls on multi-spoke 14-inch alloys shod in 185/65 R14 tires.

It is good to know, however, that the new Sentra does not go by on looks and all its toys alone – at least if we go by the reviews of various auto publications abroad. The car has received its fair share of favorable words, some of which coming from the leading car magazines in the US. The Sentra also made it to the Automobile Association of America’s annual top car list, besting rivals in its category.

Offered in five variants, the top-model Sentra Exalta 1.6 GS Grandeur A/T sells for P875,000; the 1.6 GS A/T at P835,000; the 1.6 LS M/T at P760,000; the 1.5 DS A/T at P710,000; and the 1.5 DS M/T at P680,000.