2013 Nissan Sentra Boosts Economy With New CVT

Nissan has revealed its 2013 Sentra: lighter, more fuel efficient, but with more space inside than the model it replaces. Set to hit US roads come the fall, the new Sentra debuts a 1.8-liter engine and Xtronic CVT transmission that adds a sub-planetary gear for reduced fuel consumption, and in fact the combination is good for a claimed 34mpg combined. Inside, there's the company's latest NissanConnect with text-to-speech for SMS and Pandora streaming.

A six-speed manual is an option on the base Sentra, while the top-spec Sentra SL gets 17-inch alloys, auto headlights, and a tire pressure monitoring system that beeps the horn when you've topped the tires up sufficiently. Overall it's 5-percent lighter than the previous model, but offers more accommodation and trunk space.

Inside, leather is an option, as is maple wood trim, while standard features include a 6-way manual driver's seat, air conditioning, tilt/telescope steering wheel, power windows, remote keyless entry and a 4-speaker AM/FM/CD system. Hit the options sheet, however, and you can have dual-zone temperature control, a 6-speaker AM/FM/CD system with 4.3-inch LCD, USB iPod connectivity, Bluetooth hands-free, and an 8-speaker Bose system with an amp supposedly tuned specially to your choice of cloth or leather seats.

If you really push the boat out, though, you can have NissanConnect, centered around a 5.8-inch touchscreen and including spoken text messages, Bluetooth audio streaming, SiriusXM, live traffic updates, Google POIs, and Pandora access.

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