The 2020 Nissan Sentra will get a significant makeover expected to resemble the Sylphy sold overseas. While official specs haven't been revealed for the U.S., an early order guide reveals Nissan's second-smallest car will gain some important mechanical changes and as much as a 20% boost in power.

According to the order guide, all Sentras will come standard with a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated engine making 149-hp and 145 lb-ft of torque. That equates to a 20% gain compared to the current Sentra (124-hp with CVT) which lags considerably behind cars like the Honda Civic (158-hp in base form).

Interestingly, the only powertrain listed for the new Sentra is the 2.0-liter and a CVT transmission. In contrast, the current car is offered with a 6-speed manual in base spec or paired with a 1.6-liter turbo (188 hp, 177 lb-ft). Does this mean Nissan will have no answer to cars like the Civic turbo or Elantra Sport?

That remains to be seen.

Having said all that, the Sentra's road manners may see an improvement with the addition of a multilink rear suspension in all grades. The current car features a torsion beam setup that our last review found offers a soft ride in daily driving but with weak performance heading into corners.

Safety features are set to get a major upgrade with the addition of Nissan Safety Shield 360 as standard equipment in all grades. The technology adds features like automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, land departure warning, auto high beams, and more.

While the current Sentra comes with automatic emergency braking, features like blind spot warning require stepping up to an SV or SR trim with an optional package. For 2020, that will no longer be the case. It remains too early to say whether this will translate to an increase in base prices.

Production of the 2020 Sentra is slated to begin in November. A Nissan spokesperson declined to comment for this story, citing an inability to discuss future products.

Learn More About The 2020 Sentra »

Pictured: Nissan Sylphy pictured