Late in 2025, Nissan launched its all-new Sentra Sedan. I got to take it for a brief drive in suburban metro Detroit. We’ve already spilled plenty of digital ink about how it drives and what makes it such an impressive value, but, man, it really impressed me. There has also been plenty of coverage of Nissan’s turmoil in recent years, from the culmination of the legal drama surrounding former CEO Carlos Ghosn, to shakeups in the Renault-Nissan alliance, to recent financial turmoil.
Here at the beginning of 2026, though, as a car fan, I’m less interested in the behind-the-scenes happenings within Nissan’s halls, good or bad. Instead, there’s product — actual sheet metal and the stuff that moves it down the road — that has me looking forward with eager anticipation for Nissan’s year ahead. Nissan appears to be in a period of self-reinvention, and new and future models have me excited about what to come in the near future.
The New Sentra Signals Much Needed Smart Affordability
Going back to that new Sentra, which is what really convinced me that Nissan has a formula that’s worth being excited about in a time when it seems like every purchase feels like digging a financial hole rather than something to enjoy. If I were buying the new Nissan Sentra, though, I’d be pretty pumped about my new car.
For 2026, the Sentra is more refined than it has ever been. I drove two top trims — the sportier SR and the more premium SL. I was impressed by the quiet, comfortable ride, the smooth deployment of 149 horsepower through a well-refined CVT, the attractive dual screens, and the impressive materials. Not to mention, the Sentra actually looks pretty nice now, too. The best part: both of those top trims start under $30,000, too. Heck, it starts at $22,600, making it the cheapest new car you can buy in the U.S., but with fresh design and loaded with content, it doesn’t feel like it.
Nissan used the term “loud value” to describe the Sentra, as opposed to the idea of quiet luxury, and the car delivers on the term quite well. Owners will drive off the Nissan lot feeling not like they just saved money, but they got more for that money than they would elsewhere. Being able to pat yourself on the back after spending thousands of dollars is one of the best feelings one can attain as a consumer.
Beyond the we-actually-can-afford-nice-things positioning of the Sentra, I also appreciate that it helps keep the sedan body style alive and well. You can have an affordable car that actually looks nice, and by its very nature doesn’t look like the millions of SUVs everyone is driving these days. Combined with the drivability and parkability of a compact sedan, the new Sentra has a ton going for it.
The Nissan Leaf Continues Blazing Trails
Speaking of smart affordability, or “loud value,” the 2026 Nissan Leaf is an out-of-the-park home run. We liked it so much that we at TopSpeed, along with our sister sites CarBuzz and HotCars, named it not jus the Best EV for 2026 or the Best Budget Vehicle for 2026, but also gave it our Buzz Award for Car Of The Year.
And the new Leaf comes at a crucial time for the industry. As car prices climb and EV incentives have expired, to be able to score any EV for under $30,000, let alone one that achieves so much in terms of quality, comfort, technology, and drivability.
Thankfully, we’re seeing a handful of affordable EVs arrive for 2026, but the Leaf is by far the most consistent nameplate of the group, seeing as it was the first mass-market EV available in the U.S., period. Nissan’s been in the game a long time, and has proven that it knows what it’s doing in this niche of the market. The rebooted Chevy Bolt could give the Nissan some competition in terms of value and trust, but the new Leaf got a significant head start in the budget EV space.
The Buzz Awards: Nissan Leaf Named Car Of The Year For 2026
The mighty Nissan Leaf is a champion of value, technology, and quality, putting other EVs and internal-combustion cars on notice.
New Hybrid Tech Incoming
Nissan is finally adding a plug-in hybrid to its roster, timed well to help provide a compromise for those still too reluctant to take the plunge into all-electric driving. The new Nissan Rogue Plug-In Hybrid should go on sale early in the year with 38-miles of electric range — enough to tackle the average driver’s daily commute — and an overall range of 420 miles with a full tank of gas.
In addition to its new PHEV for 2026, Nissan will bring its e-Power hybrid system to the U.S. fas well. Having a more traditional hybrid option without a plug (though be it a bit different hybrid technology than most automakers use) will give buyers who value efficiency, economy, and simplicity an attractive option — especially in a popular product like the Rogue with all-wheel drive and fuel economy around the 40 mpg range.
We’re not certain exactly when we’ll see the Rogue e-Power, but we expect learn more soon, and for it to arrive in the 2026 fiscal year. Of course, Nissan won’t stop with one conventional hybrid model, and we have more exciting hybrid news to look forward to in 2026. That brings us to our next point of anticipation…
We’ll Learn More About The Upcoming Xterra
Nissan told dealers that it will sell the revived Xterra nameplate in 2028. That gives us two years to wait for a product one can actually buy, Nissan will be hard at work on development this year … and we’re almost certain to get teased with more details in the meantime. And, yes, it will have a hybrid powertrain.
So far, we expect that hybrid powertrain to include a V-6 engine, and a possible range-extended version could give it 75 miles of electric range. It’s rumored to use a new body-on-frame platform that will underpin further models, as well. It will be built here in the U.S., at the plant in Canton, Mississippi that builds the Frontier pickup.
Nissan bringing back a more rugged SUV nameplate with hybrid power sounds exciting to me on its own. I’m not sure the old Xterra’s stadium-style rear seating provided any practical benefit, but it’ll sure tickle that nostalgic nerve if the new one has it for some reason.
Project X Is The Xterra Revival Nissan Enthusiasts Have Been Waiting For
This custom SUV, re-imagining a modern-day 2026 Nissan Xterra, showcases the unwavering love of a hardcore Nissan enthusiast.
New Nismo Cars In Development
Nissan plans to expand its Nismo performance sub-brand with new models to join the five global products already in production, which include the Z Nismo and Armada Nismo in the U.S. We don’t have a lot of details yet, but Nissan plans to double the Nismo stable to 10 vehicles by 2028, which means we can be looking forward to plenty of news in the meantime.
One of those new products will be a Nismo-only sports car that’s not based on another product. For the 2026 fiscal year, that means we’ll see a racing prototype competing in motorsport events. We Nissan has even said it’s open to partnerships with other brands to bring new Nismo models to life, which brings its own sense of intrigue to the equation. It’s just the sort of news to get gear heads speculation over a few beers, which is just the sort of buzz the brand needs.
It also means Nissan is looking for fresh ways to breathe new life into its operations, and for the first time in a long time, the path ahead looks promising. Of course, there’s always more than meets the eye going on behind the scenes, which might involve sleepless nights for bean counters and their ilk. But for the rest of us, it’s going to be fun to see what Nissan’s going to do next.