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Nissan Versa will be the third of the new B-Segment subcompact cars introduced in the USA by major Japanese manufacturers for the 2007 model year. The first was the Toyota Yaris, followed by the Honda Fit and the Versa hatchback in summer and sedan in fall 2006.

Intrepid Journalists get download on Versa from Nissan’s Senior Manager Orth Hedrick
AutoPacific had the chance to drive the Versa near Nissan’s new Nashville, Tennessee, headquarters. As many manufacturers have done, the drive route took us from downtown Nashville to the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg. Nice drive. Great roads. Since Lynchburg is a dry county, there were no samples and everyone had to drive back stone cold sober. But that did not dampen the reaction to the car.

Versa is powered by a 122HP four-cylinder engine from Nissan’s new MR family. The sample we were driving was teamed with a CVT – continuously variable transmission rather than the six-speed manual found on the base vehicle (a four-speed automatic also will be temporarily available until CVT capacity catches up with demand. Then CVT will be the only “automatic” choice.)
The Versa is big for a B-Class car. Nissan describes it as a “B-Plus.” It has a spacious interior with 60/40 fold down rear seat. Unfortunately, the Versa does not have a passenger side folding seat back that would improve the function of its otherwise well-thought-out interior.
Driving impressions were positive. The Versa rides very well over the smooth roads outside Nashville but crashes around a bit when encoutering the inevitable potholes surrounding new construction. Ride control is good through the twisties. Cruising, the Versa is superb, but seems to be let down by underachieving tires when pushed hard through a corner.
We’d Like More Punch, but for what Versa is Supposed to be, Versa is Stellar
On the “Small Car Scale” – whatever that is – the new Versa likely is a seven or eight out of ten. We’d like more power and that should come in the future possibly with an SE-R model. We’d like more aggressive tires. Probably on an SE-R. But for an around-town runabout used for commuting and errands, Versa is stellar.
Versa’s price has not yet been set, but the range should be between $12,000 and $16,000.
The question inside Nissan is going to be, “How much volume will Versa take from the more expensive only slightly larger Sentra?”
Counterpoint: 6MT Driven
For the most part, I agree with my fearless leader’s comments, though I drove a Versa equipped with the manual transmission. While wind noise was at a minimum, there seemed to be quite a bit of tire noise. And though Versa offers lots of headroom, legroom, and cargo space, it is a bit on the narrow side. The driver and front passenger seats basically touch the doors, requiring Nissan to put the manual seat adjustment pulls on the inside edge of the seat. The seats, revised from those found in Maxima, were very comfortable and the design in the cloth seats is attractive. There are lots of soft-touch materials where drivers and passengers will notice, though padding on the door armrest feels squishy. Couldn’t it be more firm and still be covered in a material pleasant to touch? The center console armrest is soft-touch as well, but not as squishy as the door armrest.
I was not impressed by the six-speed manual, which was the only drivetrain I got stick time in today. There is a satisfying feel when it settles into gear, but shifting was a bit vague and getting to the desired gear, particularly on downshift, was not as instinctive as some. On the other hand, the manual does offer short throws and avoids the rubberband feeling one could count on from entry-level cars not too long ago. The new small entry should fare well in today’s automotive landscape at the prices they are targeting.—S. Brinley