Photos courtesy of Chris Muller
Considering the Sentra has been a sedan-only line for over 20 years, it’s easy to forget there were once myriad body styles available. For the B12 generation, launched in 1987, Nissan offered two- and four-door sedans, a shapely three-door hatchback coupe, a five-door wagon (with optional 4WD) and this, the rarest of them all, a three-door hatchback.
1987-89 Pulsar hatch
Offered for just two years, the Sentra hatch was a slow-seller despite the nameplate’s popularity. Nissan had learned from the 1982 Stanza that notchbacks were more popular than hatchbacks in the US and so the sedan bodies took precedence with the 1987 Sentra. In other markets, like Australia and Europe, the similarly-sized Sunny/Pulsar offered more resolved hatchback styling and an available five-door body. In those parts of the globe, small sedans were often preferred by older consumers and thus carried a stodgy, conservative reputation. In the US, hatchbacks were beginning to disappear en masse, perhaps because they carried a cheapskate reputation.
The price-leader of the 1987 Sentra range – restyled and featuring a new rear suspension – was the two-door notchback known simply as Sentra. The next step up in the range was the Sentra E, available as a two- or four-door sedan, a wagon or as a hatchback. The hatch cost $200 more than the two-door and $200 less than the four-door.
The base Sentra was keenly priced at $5,999 (the E was $1k more) but was truly poverty-spec: standard equipment was pretty much limited to a rear defogger and reclining front bucket seats (trimmed in vinyl). A four-speed manual was the only transmission. Stepping up to the E netted you power steering (with the optional automatic only), a standard five-speed manual, tinted glass, dual outside mirrors, intermittent wipers and a trip odometer. The hatch was also available in higher XE trim. All Sentras – even the ‘Sport Coupe’ – came with a 1.6 four-cylinder engine.
The Sentra lacked the charm of a Civic or 323 or the reputation of the Corolla but it was an entirely inoffensive little commuter car. But somebody who wanted a cheap, inoffensive, little commuter car probably would have stuck with the cheaper two-door sedan. The hatchback was overlooked by most buyers for two years and then quietly axed.
Related Reading:
Curbside Classic: 1983 Nissan Pulsar Five Door – So Rare I Forgot It Existed
Cohort Sighting: 1987 Nissan Van – One Of The Few That Escaped The Manufacturer’s Buyback
Curbside Classics: 1979 & 1982 Datsun 310 (Nissan Pulsar/N10/Datsun Cherry) Coupe and Hatchback
The 1995-99 200SX coupe [B14] was virtually a Sentra 2 door, but names are names, 😉
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Lucino
Overseas, Nissan did the same thing, with the B14 based coupe called Lucino, separate from the Sunny [Sentra].
Called 200SX in the US, it replaced both the Sentra two-door sedan and the Pulsar coupe.
I think a (five-door) hatchback would broaden the Sentra’s appeal today, but in the market of the 1980s and the sedans’ BMW-esque design evolution from the still-highly-regarded 510 of 20 years before, it’s not surprising few people chose to spend the extra for a hatchback. That being said, I do remember the sport coupes and wagons being fairly popular so I was surprised the latter was dropped with no replacement at the next full redesign.
That hatchback is truly horrible to look at to my eyes. Like the Turdcel from Toyota. I know it served a purpose – dirt cheap transportation. But it is horrible to look at. LOL
Ugly, useless mode of transportation.
Many many years ago, I rode in a 1987 Nissan Sentra. At the time I found it hard to believe that the model was a 1987. Being that the car itself looked so dated that I thought it was like a 1980-1981 model.
Bland, plain, horrible reliability.
But I think it did have a following to keep the model going. Forgettable for sure (this era). The 91 model was much better and loved by all.
What a remarkable find. It looks well cared for. The way the water is beading on the paint surfaces and glass, it appears to have been treated to a recent wax/sealant. 🙂
I found the early 80s Mazda GLC and Dodge Colt among the cleaner versions of the 80s Japanese econo hatch two box design themes. Even 30 years later, this hatch remains quite anonymous.
It did look extremely well cared for, except for the bashed mirror (which could well have been recent damage). Clean, shiny, and waxed–super clean inside as well. A very unusual car that I had forgotten even existed (when I first saw it walking up from behind, my reaction was “what the hell is this thing”) but one that someone obviously loves.
I haven’t seen it since (photo is from a couple years ago), but that’s hardly surprising in a metro area this size.
The central back-up light on the tailgate is an interesting little touch that’s been seen before…
What was the last Japanese compact to be offered in the U.S. as a two-door sedan?
Toyota Echo.
Ugh, Ma had a two door hair shirt Sentra sedan from ’86-89 bought new. It hydroplaned to death. It gave me a serious, lifelong case of Brougham addiction.
There are some cars that can be cheap and cheerful but this was not. Unlike the Chevette, which no amount of money spent could really improve, with a little bit more money on A/C and cloth seats and a radio, a Sentra could be made into a reasonably appealing econobox. This car was silver with vinyl seats, which give me hives when German manufacturers today tout BMW tex or whatever. It’s not as bad as ’86 Sentra vinyl but it’s still . . vinyl.
Every minute spent in that car was a reminder that a little bit more money would have gotten you an infinitely nicer car. It was the vehicular equivalent of cold, unsweetened oatmeal, cheap, functional, reliable, and joyless. Nothing could make you point to the thing with pride and say, that’s my car. It didn’t even have enough quirky character to be mildly interesting, like a Renault LeCar.
A joyless transportation module for shuttling the proles back and forth between habitation pod and work unit. A Calvinist vehicle which stated misery is joy and discomfort builds character.
Incidentally, the ’87 dropped the 5 speed which had been standard on the ’86 in favour of a four speed manual.
I recall the two door hatch as having been popular with the cash rental places in the late ’80’s like MacFrugals along with whatever the Metro was called that year and Tercels. Undoubtedly this bottom feeder was kept largely to convince the unlucky renter that a Cavalier was the epitome of luxury and comfort and any cost was worth it to escape this wretched beast.
I’m of the opinion that the best $250 (at MSRP) you could spend in the new-car market is the upgrade from a Toyota Corolla L to a Corolla iM (if you must have a Corolla, that is) For that money you get;
* The hatchback body (natch)
* Six-speed manual instead of CVT
* Alloy wheels and body kit
* Additional (real) color choices
Altogether a far more useful and less dreary conveyance, for the price of one leather-wrapped Porsche air vent. It may not be the best car in the segment, but looked at purely as an option it’s a screaming deal.
The iM sure does look like a steal of a deal on paper, but there is a catch. While still technically a Corolla underneath, the hatch rides on a significantly shorter wheelbase and is marginally narrower. As a result, the sedan is much roomier in the rear seat; you loose 8.7 inches of rear leg room to gain that hatch. That’s a big compromise for a lot of people.
Buddy of mine had a Sentra sport coupe. What I remember most about it was that the back seat was useless for passengers. But it was very well screwed together, and had reasonable power for the time. It was a reasonably stylish inexpensive commuter car.
Saw an identical one in NYC last year… first sighting of a Sentra hatch for me in a decade (at least!)
Was it on the upper east side? I saw a brown Sentra hatchback outside Hunter College once.
While Sentras Pulsars Sunnys Lucinos and their ilk of the 90s are still common here earlier models are rarely seen six monthly inspections and anal rust regulations has seen most of them wrecked for parts by now the 83/4 Sentra/Pulsar also came with Holden badges of Astra those are like hens teeth today very rare though not collectable more of a curiosity.
My mother bought a poverty-spec 2-door Sentra E new in 1989. That is the car I learned to drive on and use a manual transmission. It was cheap and basic for sure, but I remember it being a fun and nimble car to zip around in. I haven’t seen a B-12 in years.
My neighbor’s folks had a Sentra Hatch like that. Her father drove a Audi 100 and then a Town car but her mother who rarely drove kept this Sentra. It was garaged kept. About 5 years ago her dad passed away and her mom was moved to a smaller assisted living home. I have not idea what happened to the Sentra
Nothing positive, I’m sure.
Things sure have changed. In modern times, if you are buying a commuter car, the Coupe (if you can even get one anymore – I’m happy to say you CAN if you go with Honda) is more expensive than the Sedan, and the Hatchback is even more expensive than the Coupe….. source: American Honda’s website – http://automobiles.honda.com/
(Although that is somewhat skewed on the higher end EX-L and Touring models.)
Hopefully, you can see the prices in the screen-grab, if not, please click the link above and compare for yourself. My new commuter car a red 2016 EX-T Coupe, which is turning out to be a really nice daily driver.
Coupes and hatches are not offered in L, S, X, E, or ‘base’ trims these days. And stripped sedans are only black, white or gray; maybe beige.
Reminds me a bit of a Gremlin the way the back end is chopped off compared to the notchback.
The QUALITY is long-gone, but Nissan still makes dangerously plain small-sedans that no one desires. Very sad.
There’s a real difference between the Sentra and Stanza and the Corolla and Camry. Where the latter two were almost as traditional, they were at least kept modern, where the two Nissans were stunningly staid. Even today, Toyotas with their tacked-on “sporty” fascias which are just plain outré in the most negative sense are recognized as “distinctive” by unsavvy consumers. It’s like comparing a modern Republican (Toyota) with a Paleoconservative (Nissan).
I really feel like cars like this cost Nissan dearly. The Sentra sold in reasonable volumes, but the Stanza showed that once a consumer began looking for something less basic, they looked to Toyota and Honda. And while cars like the Maxima, 300ZX and Q45 were impressive, the real volume sellers were kept in the dark ages until it was too late.
Nissan rectified the B-platform’s dynamic blandness during the B13, B14 and B15 generations, where lively power trains and sharp handling made up for indifferent styling and comfort, but since aesthetic charm was still lacking, along with the sort of reputation the Civic enjoyed, the powers that be decided to just aim low and make money. Too bad. It’s a real counterpoint to today’s Neon which was lively but disposable.
I had a brown 1987 Nissan Sentra hatchback (5 speed) from 1995 to 2001. Vinyl seats, NO AC and I lived in Yuma, AZ from 1997 to 2001. It had 165,000 on it and was a 4 speed when I sold it in 2001. Years later in 2006, I saw it on the road still…..
I’ve been searching for another one on and off over the years. I FINALLY found one… it only has 56,000 on it… original miles… a little rust, but I look forward to restoring it to its original glory.
I have been hunting for more information about this car since I bought one about three months ago now. I love having the hatchback since its just so rare, and I lucked out and found a clean one. I haven’t met a soul that has had one or even seen one, though the guy I bought it from had heard that less than 1000 were sold in the states. If anyone is seriously interested about this car I would recommend checking out the Nissan Sunny 305RE Nismo B12. It is called a sunny but is visually identical to the Sentra hatch. Insane looking car!
I can’t imagine many if any will see this but I recently purchased one of these Nissan Sentra hatchback 3Dr from 1988 and it’s become my favorite little daily. Nobody knows what they are looking at and it makes for great car meet conversations. I post on my instagram about it if anyone is curious or has any questions.