Subcompact cars are not exactly popular right now. Over the past 10 years, market share for the group has fallen by about half, but among them, the Nissan Versa is the best-seller — by, like, a mile, and it’s been completely redesigned. We checked it out at the 2019 New York International Auto Show, and we were impressed with what we saw.
Now, if you think too many cars have been redesigned with mild, evolutionary styling differences, you’ll like what happened to the Versa . It’s a big, big shift in a new direction for the car versus what it used to be. The update is perhaps most notably evident in Nissan’s V-Motion grille — that silver strip that kind of plunges almost down to the ground between the headlights — which doesn’t quite drop as far down on this new Versa as it does on the Altima, Nissan’s larger mid-size car. But it’s definitely a family look between the Versa, the Altima and the Maxima — it really ties it in with the rest of Nissan’s lineup.
Now, the Versa has historically been a very affordable car. The outgoing model started in the low $13,000s including a destination charge — but that got you a car with crank windows, no keyless entry. The new Versa has power windows, keyless entry and push-button start, all standard.
There are also a lot of standard safety features: automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert, high beam assist. These features are all going to be standard on the car, so it’s hard to fathom it starting in the low $13,000s again, but hopefully if you’re looking for an affordable car, it won’t go up too much more.
Of course, we’ll have lots more details on the Versa’s pricing and plenty more on the car in general on Cars.com, so check back in with us as we move closer to its on-sale date. In the meantime, also be sure to check out our comprehensive, on-the-scene coverage of the 2019 New York auto show, which is now open to the public and runs through Sunday.
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