The compact Nissan Versa was introduced to America in the 2007 model year as the entry-level car in Nissan’s line up. The Versa delivers highway gas mileage in the low 30 mile per gallon (MPG) range and is available as a four-door sedan or five-door hatchback. Nissan’s most affordable offering is frequently noted for its abundant and well-designed cabin and cargo space.
The 2008 Nissan Versa is equipped with a 1.8 liter DOHC four cylinder engine, producing 122 horsepower (HP) and 127 foot pounds of torque. The front-wheel drive Versa can be fitted with a six-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission.
Internationally, the Versa is also known as the Nissan Tiida. A high-MPG 1.5 liter common rail diesel is available in some markets abroad. The Renault-sourced diesel produces 105 HP and 240 Nm of torque, as well as remarkable mileage ratings (by American standards).
Nissan formed an agreement with Chrysler in January 2008 to begin distribution of the Versa in South America. This may open the door for Chrysler to sell a Dodge-branded version of the Versa in the USA.
Nissan Versa Gas Mileage - 2007-2008
| Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Disp. | Fuel | Trans. | City | Hwy |
| 2008 | Nissan | Versa | 4 cylinder | 1.8 liter | R | (AV) Auto | 27 | 33 |
| 2008 | Nissan | Versa | 4 cylinder | 1.8 liter | R | (L4) Auto | 24 | 32 |
| 2008 | Nissan | Versa | 4 cylinder | 1.8 liter | R | (M6) Manual | 26 | 31 |
| 2007 | Nissan | Versa | 4 cylinder | 1.8 liter | R | (AV) Auto | 30 | 36 |
| 2007 | Nissan | Versa | 4 cylinder | 1.8 liter | R | (L4) Auto | 28 | 35 |
| 2007 | Nissan | Versa | 4 cylinder | 1.8 liter | R | (M6) Manual | 30 | 34 |
Note: the EPA tweaked their testing procedure, starting with the 2008 model year, with the end result being that the 2008 MPG estimates are now lower than previous years. As always, YMMV.
4 comments ↓
The CVT transmission is superb in the Versa. Nissan didn’t market the CVT in their base Versa or I would have bought it. I have the Dodge Caliber with CVT. Feather footed the Caliber gets 31.4 MPG average, 35.6 Highway & 32.7MPG on trips over 4000 foot mountain passes. I think I would have averaged pretty close to 35MPG with the Versa & maybe close to 40MPG on the highway.
Caution: The 2007 Versa(don’t know about 2008) has the highest level of toxic off-gassing from interior materials of ANY car tested.
The off-gassing from the Versa interior for the 2008 Versa is much lower than the record emissions for the 2007 Versa. See HealthyCar.org. They are dedicated to reducing interior gas emissions.
Why can’t Nissan get something near the MPG that the Datsun 1200 got (40-45 city; 58-70 hwy.)?
@ Loy - We can pin a good bit of it on the weight.
An early 70s Datsun 1200 had a curb weight just north of 1600 lbs. The current Nissan Versa weighs in any where from 2,693 lbs. (1.8 S manual) to 2,758 lbs. (1.8 SL CVT).
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