RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The options for those looking for a family car which is not an SUV keep decreasing in Brazil. The latest casualty is the Nissan Sentra, which officially ceased to be sold here after the end of stocks of the model from Mexico.
The automaker has confirmed that the next generation is still in the brand’s plans, but does not disclose dates.
The automaker said that “the renewal of the sedan portfolio is part of Nissan’s strategy in Brazil and is following the natural life cycle of each product” – the car ceased to be manufactured in North America in 2020.
“In the case of the Sentra, the model is still in the company’s plans, which is evaluating market suitability factors and, therefore, has no deadline to launch it.”
The company concluded the statement by highlighting that the new Versa it still in its portfolio, which is also imported and now is around the same price range as the Sentra in its top of the line versions. Below it is the V-Drive, the previous generation which is still in production in Resende (RJ) together with the new Kicks.
The return of the Sentra, in a new generation, is uncertain. Despite tax incentives, the model is still suffering with the exchange rate variation. The investment to prepare the dealer network and after sales may not justify the return.
The medium sedan segment is shrinking in Brazil
In recent years, the Mitsubishi Lancer, Renault Fluence, Peugeot 408, and Citroën C4 Lounge have left the market. Volkswagen reduced the Jetta line to the sporty GLI version, and the last breaths of novelty came with a “domestic” update of the Chevrolet Cruze and the Caoa Chery Arrizo 6.
In 2020 the Sentra had less than a 1.2% share in the segment, dominated by the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic – and even the latter also has an uncertain future in Brazil. Considering this scenario, it is possible that the car “that is not an old man’s car” will no longer return to the country.
Source: Autoesporte