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Roomy and fuel-efficient.
Introduction
The Nissan Versa is big and roomy inside given its subcompact dimensions. It has big, cushy seats. It offers decent head room and legroom and lots of hip room, making it a good choice for taller and larger drivers. Back-seat passengers will find rear-seat leg room as good as that in larger cars and SUVs. The cabin is nicely finished and offers all the modern conveniences.
Versa offers other small-car virtues, including nimble handling, easy parking, and lively performance. And it delivers an EPA-estimated 31 mpg on the highway with an automatic, 33 mpg with a manual transmission.
The Versa competes with the lower priced Toyota Yaris and the more expensive Honda Fit, but it is slightly bigger than either. All three are subcompacts designed with tall rooflines for increased interior comfort and visibility. The Versa is the smallest car you'll find in Nissan showrooms: smaller and less expensive than the compact Nissan Sentra, but offering greater interior space and more versatility.
The Versa has received the highest possible ratings in government and insurance industry crash tests, though keep in mind that's among small cars (five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; and a good rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). Versa safety features include dual-stage frontal air bags, front-seat side-impact air bags for chest protection, and roof-mounted curtain air bags for head protection.
Versa went on sale as a five-door hatchback in July 2006, with a four-door sedan following in January 2007. Combined, the sedan and hatch sold more 59,000 units in less than one model year. For 2008, a Sport Package is available for both the sedan and hatchback, consisting of front and rear spoilers, lower body side sill extensions, and fog lights.
Bottom line, the Nissan Versa is a big small car with comfort, performance and versatility. It's roomy and offers good fuel economy.
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