There's A New Nissan Versa, Just Not For The US

The affordable sedan lives on, just not in North America.

Nissan officially shows off the new 2027 Versa

Photo by: Nissan

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Feb 25, at 4:07am ET

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The Breakdown

Nissan recently retired the Versa from the United States.
The next-generation model has entered production in Mexico.
The 2027 Versa is likely to be sold only in Latin America.

Nissan built the last Versa for the United States in December 2025, but the company’s smallest sedan lives on in other regions. The next-generation model is making an unceremonious official debut in Mexico, where the car is already rolling off the assembly line at the Aguascalientes A1 plant.

It’s likely to be sold only in Latin America, leaving the new Sentra as the entry-level sedan in the U.S. Nissan plans to keep the aging Altima around until the summer of 2027, at which point the Sentra will become the sole surviving sedan in the company’s North American lineup. In countries such as Brazil and Mexico, the new Versa will serve as the entry-level sedan, now wearing a fresh look.

Before Nissan properly reveals the next-generation Versa, these images of the front fascia will have to suffice. It has a surprisingly busy front end, with a three-layer configuration and split headlights. We prefer the design of its predecessor, but to each their own. While the rear design isn’t shown in the official images, it was inadvertently revealed during a photo shoot in late 2025. Expect an evolutionary look for the taillights, flanking black plastic trim on the trunk lid, complete with prominent Versa lettering.

Photos by: Nissan

It’s reasonable to assume the 2027 Versa won’t be all that new, given that the profile looks virtually unchanged. The 17-inch wheels are new, but the doors and greenhouse appear to be carried over from the previous generation, which debuted in 2019 and received a facelift four years later. Although the interior remains a mystery, it could share more than a few elements with the new Kait subcompact crossover.

As for what’s hiding under the hood, Nissan isn’t saying. The Kait for Latin America keeps things simple with a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter gasoline engine paired with a continuously variable transmission. The four-cylinder produces a modest 113 horsepower and 110 lb-ft (149 Nm) of torque, sent exclusively to the front wheels through the CVT, as a manual isn’t offered in the small crossover. That could signal the sedan will also forgo a manual gearbox, although nothing has been confirmed at this point.

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Motor1's Take: Although the exterior styling is (subjectively) a step backward, we’re glad to see Nissan committed to keeping the Versa alive for another generation. If only the company would change its mind and bring it back to the U.S., where the sub-$20,000 car effectively died when the old Versa was discontinued.

There will always be a need for affordable cars, especially since the average transaction price paid for a new car in December 2025 reached a record $50,326, according to Kelley Blue Book. The same study found the average MSRP also hit an all-time high, at $52,627. At least the Sentra remains reasonably priced, starting at $23,645 with the destination charge included.

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