Nissan Spawns Versa

Motor, Nov 2005 by Nash, Tom

With fuel prices at record levels, Nissan thinks it's a good time to launch a small , car with high mileage in the U.S. The result is the 2006 Versa, a variation of a vehicle jointly designed and built by Nissan and its French partner, Renault. Its already popular in Japan and other global markets-under the name Tiida. It will first be offered here in Mav of next year as a roomy five-door hatchback; a sedan version will follow a few months later.

The newest Nissan will be powered by a 120 hp, 1.8L DOHC 4-cylinder engine that will deliver an estimated 38 mpg. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard; optional trannies include a four-speed automatic with Overdrive and Nissan's X-Tronic CAT (made by Jatco).

Unlike its global counterparts, Versa will be nicely outfitted for comfort and convenience in the U.S. market. Many additional niceties and "tuner" performance options and accessories will be offered to allow the vehicle to be personalized to customers' tastes.