2012 Nissan Versa

By Zack Spencer     April 17, 2012

The Scoop

The complaint heard back in 2007, as the Canadian dollar hit parity with the United States greenback, was that the cars sold in Canada were much more expensive than in the U.S. Today as car companies have come to rely on a strong Canadian dollar, each new model introduction is either packed with more content or the starting price has dropped, and in some cases both. There are still price discrepancies from one side of the border to the other, usually on higher end cars but basic transportation in Canada has never been cheaper. Take this Nissan Versa as an example, it is the least expensive car sold in the country, starting at $11,798--that's a base model with manual transmission and wind-up windows but the fact that there is a brand new car with a full warranty, air bags and stability control sold for under $12,000 is miraculous. Most people will not buy the basic Versa, they will more than likely opt for this middle model called SV, with added automatic for $15,633. The most expensive versa is just over $16,000. Versa offers a lot of value but it is also full of innovation.

The Skin

This all-new 2012 Versa is built of a new platform that Nissan calls ''V'' for versatile. There will be other products based on this platform but the Versa is the first to be released in North America. The biggest difference is weight savings; this new is car 68kg lighter for improved fuel consumption. The exterior dimensions are roughly the same as the 2011 with one exception; the roofline has now been dropped for a sleeker appearance. This is not a car that is designed to turn heads, rather a vehicle that one buys for practical reasons. Basically, this is about getting from A to B in comfort, without having to break the bank. The base S model and middle SV trim seen here, get steel wheels and plastic covers, only the top SL trim comes with alloy wheels and the jump to the top model is $16,298. It should be pointed out that the Versa is the largest of the subcompacts in the market with almost compact dimensions.

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