Used 2020 Nissan Versa

The Nissan Versa has undergone a major transformation for the better. What used to be a dowdy-looking subcompact sedan and darling of rental fleets, has matured into an attractive vehicle with a strong family resemblance to the new Altima. While the new Versa still has an efficient 1.6-liter engine mated to a CVT, this subcompact sedan benefits from a more robust chassis, improved interior materials, and standard safety technology that includes automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist. Heck, you can even order active cruise control on the top-of-the-line SR, a model that still has an MSRP of below $20,000.

Nissan has managed to keep the price in the teens while improving the Versa in just about every area. Versa competitors include the Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Toyota Yaris and Mitsubishi Mirage. The Hyundai Accent, for the record, has a slight edge over the Nissan Versa in fuel economy, with EPA rating: 33 mpg City/41 mpg Highway/36 mpg Combined. The new Versa is plenty impressive, however, with EPA ratings of 32/40/35.

The new Versa is 1.6 inches longer and 1.8 inches wider than the 2019 version, with a roof that’s 2.3 inches lower. When you shut the new Versa’s doors, there’s none of the tinny sound associated with the previous model. The 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine starts with the push of a button and settles into a pleasantly smooth idle. Drive is engaged via a conventional PRNDL lever that doesn’t confuse anybody.

Although you won’t be overwhelmed by the acceleration provided by the little 122-horsepower Nissan engine, it does have 12 percent more power than last year’s powerplant. As long as you drive in a relaxed, sane manner, the CVT goes about its work in innocuous fashion, always finding the most efficient ratio. With aggressive throttle, though, the CVT does tend to “motorboat,” that condition in which engine rpm doesn’t correlate with vehicle speed. In these situations, the CVT “upshifts” near the 6,500-rpm redline, doing its best to mimic the shift behavior of a conventional automatic transmission. At 80 mph on the freeway, the Versa engine is running at a relaxed 2,000 rpm.

On the road, the new Versa is impressively quiet, and the body doesn’t lean as much as it used to in corners. Credit the significantly lowered chassis, along with the added width and revised suspension featuring a beefier torsion-beam rear axle. For the record, the Versa brakes, which feature 10.4-inch front rotors and 8-inch rear drums, look positively tiny inside the SV model’s 16-inch alloy wheels. Nevertheless, they delivered dependable stopping power in our day full of mildly aggressive driving.

Additionally, we’re happy to report that the Versa’s electric-assist steering does not feel over boosted, and that Nissan saw no need to fit its small sedan with an automatic start/stop system, which may save some fuel but has the potential to disrupt the Versa’s impressively smooth driving experience. Last, we like how the flat bottom of the Versa’s standard urethane steering wheel looks sporty while also providing a bit of extra space for the driver’s thighs.

Like the exterior, the interior of the 2020 Nissan Versa is a huge improvement. The seats are supportive and all-day comfortable, and there’s enough headroom up front for a driver 6-foot-5 inches or shorter. While the plastics used in the dash and door panels are hard, they’re textured in such a way as to look higher grade.

The instrument panel on the Versa SV that KBB tested features an analog speedometer on the right and a highly configurable thin-film transistor (TFT) display screen on the left. This screen can serve as a tachometer or as a panel to display other information like tire pressures, average fuel economy, and radio stations. In general, the presentation of information is very clear in the new Versa, and the various switches on the steering wheel are easy to use.

While five people can fit in the new Versa, four adults fit comfortably inside this subcompact Nissan sedan. Two additional points worth noting: The sloping roofline reduces rear headroom a fair amount, and the rear bench seat of the Versa S with the 5-speed manual transmission does not fold forward to increase the vehicle’s cargo capacity, as it does in all other versions of the new Versa. The trunk, at 15.0 cubic feet, is about the same size as before.

We think Nissan has done an excellent job of giving the Versa a strong family resemblance to its Altima and Maxima sedans, with wheels that fill the wheel wells much better than before. Nissan says the new Versa has an “Emotional Geometry” design language that features a “V-Motion” grille, boomerang-shaped headlights and taillights, kick-up C-pillars, and a “floating” roof created by some strategically placed black trim on said roof pillars. Details aside, the 2020 Nissan Versa is a handsome new design with a flowing roofline and an impressively low drag coefficient of 0.29.

The S model, the top Versa, looks particularly good, highlighted by its black chrome grille, its small rear spoiler, and its 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels. Eight colors are offered on the new Versa, including three premium offerings: Electric Blue Metallic, Monarch Orange Metallic, and Scarlet Ember Tintcoat.

AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Standard on all 2020 Nissan Versas, Automatic Emergency Braking – complemented by pedestrian detection – is a potential lifesaver. In reverse, the new Versa also will apply its brakes if something is detected in the car’s path.

7-INCH COLOR DISPLAY
All new Nissan Versas have a 7-inch color touch screen stylishly integrated into dash at the top of the center stack. This screen works beautifully with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are standard on the SV and SR models.

In addition to Automatic Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection, the 2020 Nissan Versa is a well-equipped subcompact sedan. Notable highlights include power windows, a push-button starter, cruise control, rear automatic braking, a 7-inch infotainment screen, lane-departure warning, and 15-inch steel wheels with covers.

The Versa SV and Versa SR models up the equipment ante with 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels, respectively, while also having Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Safety Shield 360, a safety suite that features blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert. Automatic climate control is standard only on the top Versa, the SR.

There aren’t many options on the 2020 Nissan Versa. If you want a premium paint color (Electric Blue Metallic, Monarch Orange Metallic, Scarlet Ember Tintcoat) on your new Versa SV or SR, it’s available as a $395 option.

The other notable option, available only on the Versa SR, is a $300 Convenience Package that includes active cruise control and heated front seats.

While the Versa engine remains a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder, it’s a now a Generation 3 powerplant with a sharpened focus on fuel economy and reduced emissions. In addition to dual fuel injectors per cylinder, the Versa engine has variable cam timing on the intake and exhaust sides. This aluminum-block powerplant puts out 122 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 114 lb-ft of torque at 5,400 rpm, which compares favorably to last year’s levels of 109 horsepower and 107 lb-ft.

1.6-liter inline-4
122 horsepower @ 6,300 rpm
114 lb-ft of torque @ 5,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/35 mpg (manual), 32/40 mpg (CVT automatic)