It may not seem like it, but the Nissan Sentra has been around for almost 16 years now. This venerable small sedan from Nissan Motor Philippines (NMPI) has been traversing the country’s highways and byways in various guises since 1987 while introducing many firsts for the Philippine motoring industry.
It was the first locally-assembled S-class sedan to offer all-power convenience features (power steering, power windows, central locking and remote mirrors) with the 1989 Sentra 1.6 SGX; the first electronic fuel injection and engine management system (ECCS) in the 1991 Sentra 1.6 Super Saloon; Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) in the 1993 Sentra 1.6 SE Saloon; Multi-Link Beam rear suspension and environmentally-friendly aircon (R134a) in the 1994 Sentra Series III; the first S-class to offer airbags in 1995; the first factory-installed electric sunroof and built-in Audio/Phone hands-free system, along with the upscale leather seats and wood panels in the 1999 Sentra Exalta STA and the first built-in video entertainment system in the 2001 Sentra Exalta Grandeur. And all along, it prided itself on having one of the coldest factory-installed aircons in the industry.
Yet, in spite of these advanced features and many firsts, the Nissan Sentra played second fiddle in the market to the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, sometimes even fighting for the third berth with the Mitsubishi Lancer. And despite its reputation for durability and its seven-year perforation corrosion warranty, the Sentra had a mediocre resale value and suffered from an image problem that it undoubtedly didn’t deserve.
This reputation may not suit well with the car-buying public in general, but NMPI had an ace up its sleeve: the Sentra was the perennial favorite of corporate customers. Since 1987, the Sentra has served various companies and government agencies as their fleet vehicle of choice. It was a police car, a taxi cab, an airport shuttle service, a rental car or a company car for detail personnel and corporate supervisors. From the boxy 1987-1991 Sentra 1.3 LX/SLX to the 1992-1996 1.3 LEC/1.4 JX/EX Saloon to the 1997-2000 1.3 FE/1.4 EX Saloon, the Sentra soldiered on as a tough, reliable and economical vehicle that fleet companies used and trusted.
Thus, when NMPI stopped producing 1.3- and 1.4-liter variants during the introduction of its all-new Sentra in 2001, fleet customers looked elsewhere to fulfill their vehicle requirements. Luckily, NMPI quickly realized this oversight and wisely offered a new 1.3-liter engine with the new body, and came out with the Nissan Sentra GX 1300.
The Sentra GX is a big departure from its elder siblings. It has a roomier interior and bigger exterior due to its full-size body, which it shares with the up-market Grandeur. The two-tone interior features seats covered in a durable gray fabric instead of the lighter beige material of its 1.5- and 1.6-liter brethren, which tends to soil easily. A thick-sectioned 4-spoke steering wheel provides excellent grip while the well-placed instrument panel features a tachometer and digital trip meter/odometer as standard equipment. Power-assisted rack and pinion steering, AM/FM cassette with two speakers and the much-vaunted factory-installed aircon system are standard.
The body is suspended by independent MacPherson struts with transverse links in the front and Nissan’s trademark Multi-link Beam (MLB) suspension in the rear. Fourteen-inch wheels are shod with 185/65R-14 tires, and along with the suspension system and improved noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) insulation systems, provide a comfortable, quiet and supple ride.
Power comes from an in-line, four-cylinder QG-series engine, which displaces 1295cc and features a 9.5:1 compression ratio, double overhead camshafts (DOHC) and four valves per cylinder (16-valves). It also boasts of being the first 1300 in the S-class segment to feature electronic fuel injection and Nissan’s Electronic Concentrated Engines Control System (ECCS) engine management system. The engine, internally known as QG13DE, makes about 95PS at 6000rpm and 12.5kg-m of torque at 4400rpm and is mated to either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission.
This engine produces 10PS more at 6000 rpm than the old carbureted GA13DS engine (85PS) in the old Sentra 1.3 LEC/1.3 FE and about 2.3kg-m additional torque, albeit at higher engine speeds (4000 vs. 4400rpm). It also has cleaner emissions due to the computerized engine management system, as well as improved fuel efficiency. Unfortunately, the new engine is also more strained than the older engine model, since the Sentra GX weighs in at a portly 1125kg (1260kg for the automatic) compared to the LEC’s svelte 955kg or the FE’s 990kg curb weight. Thus, acceleration is nothing to write home about, and overtaking is best done with utter discretion and limitless patience.
On an Easter Sunday outing with my wife, dad, mom, sister and daughter to Ocean Adventure in Subic, this writer recorded 12.83 kilometers per liter in combined highway/city driving while encountering horrendous traffic in Lubao, Pampanga and along the North Luzon Tollway. Although it was a hot and sunny day, the interior was cool and comfy for me and my family, and the drive was relaxing.
However, overtaking with the full-laden Sentra GX in fourth gear (60kph/2200rpm) gave me an ulcer. Turning the aircon compressor off was like turning a supercharger on, with a boost in engine power being felt in the process. I downshifted to 2nd gear before overtaking and kept the engine spinning above 3000rpm to maintain power. The engine’s sweet spot was between 4000 and 5000rpm, but the fuel consumption would also shoot up when driving continuously in this rev range.
Driven with civility around town, though, the Sentra GX proved to be a docile, dependable and fuel-efficient sedan. It was probably designed to perform this way. After all, the GX is a business tool and the fleet users and the corporate accounts who shell out P580K (P620K for the automatic) expect this vehicle to bring their business to their customers in a deliberate but sure and enduring way. Nissan has likewise delivered to its fleet customers a Sentra variant worthy of their business, and of their long-term patronage.