Click here for a video of the Nissan Sentra from the Detroit Auto Show.

Sharing the spotlight with the Versa at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show on the Nissan stand is a redesigned Sentra. According to the automaker, the new model is poised to take the mainstream Sentra upmarket in both size and price. The all-new compact has a 105.7-inch wheelbase, longer than the previous model by almost 6 inches. Cargo space is also increased by 9 cu ft. The sixth-generation Sentra will feature a 135-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine paired with a standard 6-speed automatic or optional CVT transmission. The previous generation's base model was powered by a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder with a 5-speed manual transmission.

Inside, the base Sentra sports features usually reserved for more expensive models, like a standard 60/40 split folding rear seat, a tire-pressure monitor, an overhead cd holder, air conditioning, front and rear curtain side airbags, and dual front-seat side airbags. New options include available leather appointments, Nissan's intelligent key keyless-entry system, and Bluetooth hands-free phone system. Base model prices are expected to begin at around $15,000, $2,000 more than the previous generation's base price. An SE-R model will join the lineup five months after the '07 Sentra hits the showroom floor.

Click here for a video of the Nissan Versa from the Detroit Auto Show.

Nissan's compact Tiida, currently on sale in Japan, makes its North American debut with a new name: Versa. It represents the marriage of versatile space for both people and cargo and the footprint of a compact car. Slotting below Sentra in size and price, Versa's 1.8-liter 120-hp 4-cyl engine will be mated with one of three transmissions: a standard 6-speed manual, an optional 4-speed automatic, or Nissan's Xtronic CVT, which the automaker says will get an estimated 38 mpg combined city/highway. When Versa hits showrooms next summer as a 2007 model it will have a base price starting around $12,000. The hatchback revealed at Detroit will be followed by a similarly priced sedan later in the year. Nissan is spending over $800 million on upgrades to its Aguascalientes, Mexico, plant to ready it for Versa production. The upgrade will allow the plant to be flexible enough to produce the Versa and a new Sentra at the same time.

Click here for a video of the Nissan Urge concept from the Detroit Auto Show.

Although Nissan's 2006 Detroit Auto Show concept entry, Urge, was designed by the group's La Jolla, California, design studio, its conception began on-line when Nissan solicited the ideas of thousands of internet users before creating the car. Called a "minimalist sports car" by Nissan, this coupe was designed with a specific audience in mind, one nearly every automaker hopes to appeal to: young, first-time car buyers. In terms of the minimalism, Nissan strove to give the car the carefree, exposed feeling of driving a motorcycle. The two-seater has a third seat hidden in the back. The exterior is surrounded by an aluminum cagelike structure, contrasted by a glass hood with a view of the engine. Other unique features include 4-bar hinge scissor doors, see-through door panel cutouts, and a collapsible canvas roof. One definite addition by the internet-pooled audience was a built-in gaming system powered by Xbox 360 that's controlled by steering-wheel/pedal controls.

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