NEW NISSAN VERSA LEAKS, LOOKS SHARP
The current generation of Nissan Versa, one of America's cheapest cars, has been around for a fair while. It launched for the 2020 model year, and it got a light refresh for 2023. It also apparently isn't going anywhere, since leaked images from Mexico have revealed the budget sedan is getting yet another refresh. It does seem like a more significant refresh than the one for 2023, and we dig the new looks. We also expect it will appear in the U.S.
A Mean Maw
The photos came to us from Facebook and Instagram users, and they were initially spotted by Carscoops. It seems the car was out to be photographed for ads. The best photos come from the Facebook user, as they include angles from the front and the rear. The biggest changes are up front, where the Versa now features a grille and light design closest to the current Murano. It's a split design with angular running lights in a black visor at the top of the fascia, and a slatted grille underneath. The main headlights are hidden in that frowning lower grille.
At the back, the changes are milder with different taillights, a black bar connecting them, and a revised rear bumper. Still, the changes are more noticeable than on the 2023 version of the sedan. The photos also make it clear that everything in between the front and rear is carryover. Unfortunately, we can't see through the car's windows, so we can't tell what changes may have been made to the interior. Odds are, it will get an updated infotainment system and possibly some new features both standard and optional.
It Seems Reasonable To Expect It In America
Since this updated Versa is mostly the same as the current one, we don't see a reason it wouldn't come here. The same chassis means it should still meet U.S. safety regulations. It will probably have the same naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque, which would mean it would also meet emissions regulations. Nissan would hardly have to do anything to keep selling it here. The only real difference would probably be that we wouldn't get a manual transmission in the U.S. The company had to drop that transmission option already, leaving just the CVT, due to tariff costs.
Besides being simple to offer in the U.S., the Versa still sells. Last year, Nissan sold more than 40,000 of them. That's more than the Murano or Armada in the same year. Perhaps more importantly, the Versa's 2024 sales were way up compared to 2023 when Nissan sold about 25,000 of them. So there's still demand for it, and if it doesn't cost much to keep it updated and on sale, it seems like it's a no-brainer to keep offering it in the U.S. We'll probably know one or the other soon, since these photos suggest the car is ready to be shown. A reveal in the next six months with it going on sale soon after seems reasonable to us.
2025-12-09T11:24:39ZSource: Facebook / Josué Adán Granados / Versa 20 *** 24 México Group, Instagram / Autodinamicomx via Carscoops