The Nissan Sentra Might Soon Be an American-Made Sedan

Nissan is facing a tough future, and plenty of uncertainty ahead could force the company to shift Sentra production to the United States. Despite the brand’s global woes and financial struggles, sales were up 6.3 percent through the first three months of 2025 in America, driven mostly by its small, affordable models like the Versa and Sentra.

A new Automotive News report citing an unnamed supplier says that Nissan is thinking about moving Sentra production to the US. This would help the company avoid US President Donald Trump’s 25-percent tariff on cars imported from Mexico and Canada on a very important model in its portfolio.

Sentra Sales were up 36.1 percent from January to March. It was the brand’s second-best-selling model behind the Rogue, losing the top spot by about 7,600 units, but its popularity shouldn’t be a surprise in an era of exorbitant new car prices. The Sentra starts at $22,730 (the price includes the $1,140 destination charge), making it appealing to cost-conscious buyers.

Nissan also makes the Versa and the Kicks in Mexico, which had 156 and 84.8 percent sales increases in the first quarter, respectively. Still, there’s no indication Nissan is considering moving production for those two models to America. According to the report, Nissan might decide to build the Sentra at its Mississippi plant; however, the automaker told the publication that it has made no official changes to its industrial strategy. 

Nissan’s new CEO has a tough road ahead, but he’s making swift changes to turn around the company. He’s closing plants, firing employees, and pausing projects to deliver a range of appealing new products, including a next-generation Sentra. The plans include a new electric Leaf and a plug-in hybrid Rogue, which Nissan builds in Tennessee.