2011 Nissan Versa – Trouble-Free Transportation

First Look

The cheap cars at one time were considered as penalty boxes, and even though these vehicles came with a warranty, owning one was definitely not what you would want. But that doesn’t seem to be the case with our 2011 Nissan Versa, which clearly is one of the cheapest cars on sale in US, but from any aspect it is not at all a penalty box.

What’s New for 2011 Nissan Versa?

The 2011 Nissan Versa comes with very minor changes, and some of the noteworthy changes for the car includes antilock brakes which now are incorporated with the improved 1.6 sedan trim, while the 1.8 S sedan gets a six-disc CD changer.

Body Styling and Features

The 2011 Nissan Versa is a subcompact vehicle available in hatchback and sedan styles. The sedan body style comes in two low trim levels of 1.6 Base and 1.6, while the hatchback is available in 1.8 S and 1.8 SL.

The 1.6 Base trim for Versa sedan comes loaded with hardly any convenience equipments, and the only equipments that you’ll get here includes 14-inch steel wheels, flashing wipers, a tilt steering wheel and four audio speakers, but the speakers doesn’t have a stereo to support them.

The 1.6 trim gets antilock brakes, air-conditioning and the option of getting an automatic transmission.

The 1.8 S trim brings 15-inch steel wheels, cushier front seats, power mirrors and a stereo having an auxiliary audio jack and a six-disc CD changer. There also is an additional power plus package available, which gets you power locks and windows, cruise control, keyless entry and padded door armrests.

The last 1.8 SL trim brings 15-inch alloy wheels, improved cloth upholstery, a height-adjustable driver seat, rear and front center armrests, a six-speaker stereo and 60/40 split rear seatbacks (sedan).

There is a convenience package available for the Sedan, which will get you keyless entry/ ignition, a leather-swathed steering wheel having audio controls and Bluetooth. The premium package for the Hatchback is actually the same, but it brings in 16-inch alloy wheels.

The optional equipments for 1.8 SL and 1.8 S (sedan only) include internal ambient lighting and an auto-dimming rearview mirror; the sunroof is also optional on the hatchback. Lastly, you have the option to equip the 1.8 SL with a navigation system which includes a small touchscreen, an iPod interface, satellite radio and real-time traffic.

Under The Hood

The 2011 Nissan Versa comes with two four-cylinder engine options. The 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, that powers only the sedan, generates maximum power of 107 horsepower and maximum torque of 111 pound-feet. The standard transmission here is a five-speed manual transmission, while the optional transmission here is a four-speed automatic. In our acceleration testing the Versa equipped with 1.6-liter engine with manual transmission sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in a sensible 9.4 seconds. The estimated fuel economy here is of 29 mpg combined for city and highways.

Safety Equipments

The standard safety equipments for 2011 Nissan Versa includes side curtain airbags and front side airbags. The optional safety equipment for the base trim includes antilock brakes, but they are standard on all the other trim levels. Optional on 1.8 S and standard on 1.8SL are traction and stability control.

Verdict

The 2011 Nissan Versa might not be the most appealing or latest option in the economy car segment, but the car still offers roomy, low-priced and trouble-free transportation.

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