2012 Nissan Versa at 2011 New York Auto Show
- Competes with: Toyota Yaris, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent
- Looks like: A boring economy car, but what do you want for $11,000?
- Drivetrain: 109-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with a five-speed manual or CVT
- Hits dealerships: Summer 2011
It does look like the $10,000 new car is going away, but Nissan’s new Versa sedan will still start with a 1 and 0. Starting at $10,990 with a manual transmission and manual windows, the 2012 Versa is $1,000 more than the 2011, but it’s also significantly larger inside and packs a large trunk for a car this size. A hatchback version wasn’t revealed.
More Coverage of the 2011 New York Auto Show
The engine gets dual injection and an EPA-estimated 30/37 mpg city/highway with the continuously variable automatic transmission. Only the base model 1.6S comes standard with a five-speed manual. That’s rated at 27/36 mpg.
The 90 cubic feet of interior space fits between Toyota’s Yaris sedan at 87 cubic feet and the larger Corolla compact at 92 cubic feet. The Versa’s 14.8-cubic-foot trunk is simply huge for this class. It’s increased 1 cubic foot from the 2011 Versa sedan; the Yaris’ trunk comes in at 12.9 cubic feet and the Corolla at 12.3 cubic feet.
The practicality and low price will get people in the Versa, but if they want creature comforts like a CVT and power windows, they’ll have to move up to the 1.6 SV. It also comes with cruise control, which is an option on the S. We are posting the rest of the trim-level and option features directly from the manufacturer below, along with more images.
Trim Level Breakdown
2012 Versa sedan 1.6 S (offered in five-speed manual transmission and CVT versions), Versa sedan 1.6 SV (CVT only) and Versa sedan 1.6 SL (CVT only).
Along with the 1.6 S model’s many standard features, the 1.6 SV adds cruise control, Fine Vision instrumentation, chrome grille accents, body-colored power side mirrors, upgraded cloth seats, power windows and more.
Versa sedan 1.6 SL models add 15-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, fog lights, variable intermittent wipers, chrome interior door handles, 60/40-split backseat, Bluetooth connectivity, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, USB/iPod connectivity, upgraded audio system, door-linked map lights and more.
Just three options packages are offered: the Cruise Control Package (1.6 S CVT only) and the SV Convenience Package (1.6 SV only) with Bluetooth connectivity, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, upgraded audio, iPod control, map lights and front passenger vanity mirror. The SL Tech Package (1.6 SL only) adds the Nissan Navigation System with XM NavTraffic (XM subscription required, sold separately) and 5-inch color touch-screen display and XM Satellite Radio.
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Uses a lot of designing clues from the Cube.
P.S. DT, the H/B version has also debuted, but not in NY. It's in Shanghai, China. Here's the link (official, from Nissan).
http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/REPORT/110419.html
Looks WAY better than the sedan...
I can't imagine how this thing passed a focus group. The hatch version is decent, but this is just a bad joke.
The design of the new Versa will not capture much attention, and since the old one never did either, I think Nissan needs to rethink their design direction. The interior plastic looks too grainy and cheap. I predict this will have a tough time competing in the sub compact market. Nothing about the design of this Versa stands out at all. The Hyundai Accent and Ford's Fiesta look 1000x better.
Are they serious? The new Accent is like 10 times better than the new Versa! Wow. This one looks just way too cheap and the current version looks better than this... :/
@Ken L,
"The design of the new Versa will not capture much attention, and since the old one never did either"
U do know that the Versa has been the hottest selling "midsize but compact" vehicle in its class, right?
That's outselling Fit, Yaris, Mazda 2 (or 3), Accent, Rio, Aveo...
It's not the attention that this class of vehicle needs; it's the price. These are "entry" models for a reason...
AR,
As you can tell the front styling is different than the Versa which is for American customers, as is our site. Engines too likely. We usually only publish on U.S. spec models to keep confusion to a minimum.
unless there's a secret automatic climate control option, my money will go elsewhere (the lack of center headrest in the back doesn't help on the selling points).
kudos for the improvement over the current one, meh on the details.
Understand DT. Just wanna share what I found though. Now it does say that the Tiida h/b is a "global model/platoform," so possibility that the US Spec will retain that shape. In addition, from what I see, the engine should be identical (both are 1600cc's).
In China, this US Versa is actually called Sunny (the "used-to-be" equivalent of US Sentra), so yeah, may not be the same Versa H/B this time...
I drive a 2007 Nissan Versa...and it is a TERRIFIC vehicle! I am 6'5",325 lbs. , and not only is the car roomy, but I have 4 inches of head room. This vehicle gets 30 miles to the gallon,nand has performed great. If you want a fast car, buy a corvette. But, if you want a car with excellent mileage, 6 airbags, 6 speaker stereo with a 5 disc-cd changer, and overall good buy, you could do much worse than a Versa. I drive the hatchback, and it has a lot of storage space with back seats down.If I had the cash available, I would buy another one tomorrow!
interior is very Kia..circa 1999...& the rear is very "Japanese" looking...Accent is much nicer...JMHO!
FAIL
Looks like something from India. Cheap. Odd. Third world.
Mark my words, Nissan will be desperate for a new business partner soon.