Topic: Preview: 2012 Nisan Versa sedan

[Autos_Editor]

Nissan has chosen to completely re-design its entry-level Versa sedan model, reports Grant Yoxon.

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[sailor723]

This seems kind of big to me. Where does this leave the Sentra?

[JohnM]

"The preliminary rating for the new 1.6-litre engine is 109 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and 107 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,400 rpm. "

109HP from 1.6 is hardly what I'd call state-of-the-art.  Anyone have any ideas of why the comparatively low output?

FYI, the 2011 sedan is on sale for $11K which is a great deal even if you aren't smitten with this car.

Cheers,
John M.

[dragonfly]

 Didn't the old Versa have 122 HP and a six speed tranny?  And wow! I didn't know they still made 15 inch alloys.....Nissan seems to be cheaping out the the Japanese big 2..  OOgly little critter....dragonfly

[hemusbull]

They gona use new platform just for sedan...come on Nissan, don't do it because it's (North) America and sedan is domminant shape, build competetive hatch immediately, please! And this engine with 109 horses - Nissan have resources and engineering to design proper mill with regular gas for the same NA market the way they build them for Renault! And finaly, the car suffer from the ugliness sindrom like Juke at the front, here it's at the rear, in my opinion...

[Danno001]

This seems kind of big to me. Where does this leave the Sentra?

small car trying to look like a big car = uglee

[theonlydt]

Didn't the old Versa have 122 HP and a six speed tranny?  And wow! I didn't know they still made 15 inch alloys.....Nissan seems to be cheaping out the the Japanese big 2..  OOgly little critter....dragonfly

The old Versa sedan was a 1.6 with a 5 speed - it's the hatch with the 122bhp 1.8 and 6 speed tranny. We'll have to wait and see what the hatch comes with. I'm actually kind of hoping they go with a station wagon version - with that long over-hang it'd be huge inside and not bad for occupants - all pretty cheap. Google Renault Clio Sport Tourer for the type of thing I'm suggesting (uses the same platform as current gen Versa)

[Jaeger]

I'm definitley not feelin' it from these photos. 

Jaeger

[aaronk]

This seems kind of big to me. Where does this leave the Sentra?

small car trying to look like a big car = uglee

Yep! Looks like a shrunk Avalon. Nissan needs a design infusion in their small cars - just because it's cheap doesn't mean it should be ugly. I hate to bring them up, but Hyundai's new Elantra and even the Mazda3 are good examples of interesting design that sells well.

[quadzilla]

Fuel economy for the 2012 Versa Sedan is estimated at 6.7 Litres/ 100 km (42.2 mpg) City, 5.3 Litres / 100 km (53.3 mpg) Highway and 6.1 Litres / 100 km (46.3 mpg) Combined, with the CVT transmission: 7.5/5.4/6.6 litres/100 km, (37.7/52.3/42.8 mpg) with the 5-speed manual transmission (preliminary estimates).

If I had to live with only 109HP I would much better fuel economy than that.

[aaronk]

I hate to bring them up, but Hyundai's new Elantra and even the Mazda3 are good examples of interesting design that sells well.

And so continues the emerging tradition of Hyundai (the supposed new benchmark for excellence) making an appearance in every new thread.

My comment at least related to the topic of discussion. As I said, hate to bring it up but it is relevant - the Elantra has dominated sales mostly because of it's elaborate new styling. Mazda3 has also done very well, again a stylish small car. The common thread isn't Hyundai being a benchmark of excellence, it's that Hyundai has figured out that style sells. Looking back at the Versa, it's questionable why Nissan wouldn't take a little more time and a few cues from the success of the dramatic new competition to add a little spice to the Versa.

[darkharbour]

Wow. Even uglier than the original Versa sedan. The pics I've seen of the new hatch look much better.

[Jaeger]

I hate to bring them up, but Hyundai's new Elantra and even the Mazda3 are good examples of interesting design that sells well.

And so continues the emerging tradition of Hyundai (the supposed new benchmark for excellence) making an appearance in every new thread.

Read more carefully - he referenced both the Elantra AND the Mazda 3 and suggested neither were a benchmark for excellence.

Have you noticed that more often than not, Hyundai is injected into a thread not by Hyundai fans, but by Hyundai bashers?  Funny how you don't seem to object to that....

Jaeger

[Snowman]

I'm definitley not feelin' it from these photos. 

Jaeger

Agreed, Nissan can't get compact cars right in my opinion.

[mrori]

Wow. Even uglier than the original Versa sedan. The pics I've seen of the new hatch look much better.

http://photo.netcarshow.com/Nissan-Tiida_2012_photo_02.jpg

[Alex MacLean]

Sweet, 109 hp. Hope tires are cheap in this size, because this baby will be roasting all kinds of them...

Did Nissan go back to 1995? Ugly as sin, but for $11k I guess it's ok.

[Jaeger]

Ah...I beg to differ: He referenced the Elantra (and, yes, the Mazda) as positive examples of what good styling can achieve in terms of sales.

Oh, I am not a Hyundai basher.  But you must surely see an emerging tendency for Hyundai to be portrayed (by some at any rate) in this forum as a manufacturer who can do no wrong.  This isn't to deny that they have some great products right now.

Then what are you differing on?  He clearly DID NOT advance Hyundai as "benchmark of excellence", as you suggested - but referenced two non-Nissan brands as examples of "interesting" designs that sell well.  One of those happened to be a Hyundai - the other a Mazda.

Perhaps it would be better for you to address specific examples of people advancing Hyundai as the "benchmark of excellence" or a "brand that can do no wrong" as they arise, should you feel the need.  This clearly wasn't one of them. 

Now, did you have any comment on the Nissan at all?  You know - the car that is the subject of this thread?  Or are you here simply to police what you perceive to be excessive praise for another brand?

Jaeger

[whaddaiknow]

Wow. Even uglier than the original Versa sedan. The pics I've seen of the new hatch look much better.

http://photo.netcarshow.com/Nissan-Tiida_2012_photo_02.jpg

Now this hatch looks much better. Somewhere between Mazda3 and Lexus CT200h. If Nissan could port this design over and sell it at $11,000 base, it would get a much better response, IMO.

[Jaeger]

So I think I get it now....

No you don't, you really don't.  But I will give it up in the hope that this thread stays / gets back on topic.

darkharbour - I agree the hatch looks better in that rendering.

Jaeger

[PJungnitsch]

Hey, let's put an Altima front end on a B210!