Subcompact Buyers Go for Substance over Style, Nissan Says

Nissan revealed its brand new 2012 Versa sedan a couple of days ago at the New York International Auto Show. But despite being a new car, the media (including us) preferred to focus more on design studies like the Scion FR-S and Mercedes’ A-Klasse Concept. It seems that Nissan was very much expecting this and isn’t bothered at all, as sales are going to be dictated by practicality and interior space, not styling and sportiness.

"The Fiesta may have been getting the press, this is what was selling. We were up 20 percent last year. Our competitors have gone for sporty and styling, but that's not what these buyers want. Subcompact buyers want a dependable, roomy car with good fuel economy, and they want the features and specs to feel they spent a lot more on a car than they did," David Reuter, Nissan's VP of Corporate Communications, tells Autoblog.

Nissan seems to know what it’s doing, as 99,705 Versa sedans and hatchbacks were delivered last year. The nearest competitor in the segment were the Honda Fit with 54,354, the Hyundai Accent with 51,975, and the Chevrolet Aveo with 48,623 units sold.

So maybe the new Versa sedan deserves a second look. It still looks like a regular car to us, but a MSRP of $10,990 and more legroom than ever is starting to look attractive for a fist car. Power for the new sedan comes via a second-generation 1.6-liter HR16DE 4-cylinder engine rated at 109 horsepower and 107 lb-ft (145 Nm) of torque. US consumers will be able to choose between a 5-speed manual transmission (1.6 S model only) and a next-generation Xtronic CVT transmission.