2015 Nissan Versa Sedan continues to prioritize space and price over looks

Wed, 16 Apr 2014

Nissan's refresh of its cavernous Versa Sedan is on hand today at the 2014 New York Auto Show. While we continue to appreciate the Versa for its space and low price, this slight restyling of the four-door sedan hasn't done much for its uninspiring appearance.

Newly enlarged headlights and a reworked, more Altima-like grille are the biggest changes to the front of this Versa, although Nissan has also added some brightwork around the revised foglight housings. Integrated turn signals liven up the mirrors, while the rear of the car wears a new and almost strangely sporty bumper.

Perhaps more importantly for prospective owners, Nissan has also made a few interior tweaks, with a new steering wheel and a revised center stack leading the change. There's some new available tech on the top-end SL model, as well.

Power continues to be served up in the form of a 109-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder and the buyers choice of a five-speed manual, four-speed automatic (S models) or continuously variable transmission.

But more important that displacement, horsepower or aesthetics, is likely the Versa's bottom line: at $11,990 for starters (plus $810 destination), it continues to be America's least-expensive new car.

Nissan announces new 2015 Versa sedan, set for debut at New York International Auto Show on April 16th

Features updated exterior appearance with "Nissan family" front end styling for a more substantial presence
Interior enhancements deliver a refined, more contemporary appearance; Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System now standard on all models
New content added to S, S Plus and SV grades, revised SL Tech Package features NissanConnectSM with Navigation and Mobile Apps
Goes on sale April 16th with the lowest starting MSRP* in the United States** of $11,990 USD

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nissan today revealed photography and details of the new 2015 Nissan Versa Sedan, the best-selling vehicle for four years in a row*** in the highly competitive sub-compact segment. The 2015 Versa Sedan makes its debut next Wednesday, April 16th at the New York International Auto Show – the same day it arrives at Nissan dealers nationwide. The enhancements for the 2015 model year include new front and rear fascias, a range of interior refinements, and new grade level and packaging content.

"Versa Sedan is the entry point for the dynamic Nissan sedan lineup, attracting many first-time new car buyers to the brand," said Pierre Loing, vice president, Product Planning, Nissan North America, Inc. "It's critical that we keep Versa's look and feel fresh and its value equation high, with a rewarding driving and ownership experience."

Most prominent of the changes is the bold new front end treatment anchored by larger headlights, a more substantial looking fascia and standard chrome plating on the grille – all of which strengthen the family ties of the Versa Sedan with the Nissan stable mates – Sentra, Altima and Maxima.

The list of exterior upgrades also includes a new fog light finisher design, new side mirror designs for SV and SL trim levels (with integrated turn signals for SL), and a more dynamic rear fascia design. A new, Versa Sedan-exclusive 15-inch V-spoke aluminum-alloy wheel design is also available with SV models.

Versa Sedan again offers five-passenger practicality with a high degree of comfort and refinement. Interior enhancements for the 2015 model year include a new center stack shape, which is similar to that found on the sporty Versa Note, a revised meter display with white LED display (previously orange illumination color) and a new, more substantial, steering wheel with standard audio and Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System controls.

Versa Sedan S and S Plus grades feature a wide AM/FM/CD audio system with standard auxiliary-in and Radio Data System (RDS), standard assist grips, a passenger-side vanity mirror and new seat fabric. "Like the exterior changes, the interior refinements provide a more substantial, higher quality look and feel," added Loing.

All 2015 Versa Sedans continue to provide a roomy interior volume of 90.2 cubic feet, with more rear legroom than many mid-size sedans. Trunk volume measures 14.9 cubic feet. A 60/40-split fold-down rear seat is standard on SV and SL models for even greater cargo versatility.

The NissanConnectSM with Navigation and Mobile Apps system, which is offered as part of the SL Technology Package, includes a 5.8-inch color touch-screen display, Nissan Voice Recognition for audio and navigation, SiriusXM Traffic and SiriusXM Travel Link (SiriusXM subscription required, sold separately).

The 2015 Versa Sedan utilizes Nissan's global lightweight "V" platform and is powered by a 1.6-liter HR16DE 4-cylinder engine rated at 109 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 107 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. The 1.6-liter engine is matched with a choice of three transmissions – a 5-speed manual transmission or 4-speed automatic (S models only), or a next-generation Xtronic transmission with D-mode step shift programming.

Fuel economy for the 2015 Versa Sedan is rated at 31 mpg city, 40 mpg highway and 35 mpg combined with the Xtronic transmission. Versa Sedan models equipped with the 5-speed manual offers 27 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined, while the 4-speed automatic-equipped models are rated at 26 mpg city, 35 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined.

The 2015 Nissan Versa Sedan is available in four well-equipped models – Versa Sedan S (offered in 5MT and 4AT versions), Versa Sedan S Plus (Xtronic only), Versa Sedan SV (Xtronic only) and Versa Sedan SL (Xtronic only).

For full information and additional photos, please visit www.NissanNews.com.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 236,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of over 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.

By Brandon Turkus