The sedan’s new version will be available starting April 12.
Word from CarsDirect has announced that Nissan plans to discontinue the slow-selling Versa NOTE hatchback by the end of the year. What has the sales pace been? Although Nissan doesn’t separate sales for the sedan and hatchback, the Versa fell 29 percent in total last year. We are not sure why the hatchback is being targeted for destruction, but Nissan confirmed to us that the Note will be leaving.
The Note will be gone, as it can be replaced with one of the automaker’s compact crossovers. The Kicks is immediately in mind. Small hatchback buyers might also be interested in the all-electric Leaf. The Versa Note is more expensive than the Leaf, which costs $29,990. However, both vehicles have a greater following. The Leaf’s sales increased 31 percent last year and the Kicks just launched for 2018, but 23,312 copies were sold.
Rumours that Versa Note might be ending were heard last month. Nissan sold almost 76,000 units last year. This is a substantial number, but it also includes the Note and the sedan. The next-generation Versa is already in production and will be launched next week by Nissan. The exterior will take many design cues from recently refreshed Altima. We also expect to see more equipment inside the sedan to make it more attractive.
Given the increasing sales of crossovers and SUVs at a lower cost than sedans, it could be tempting for Nissan not to pull the plug on Versa. Ford is out of the sedan business in the U.S. and General Motors is also out. However, other automakers have vowed to remain in the segment and, at this point, it appears that Nissan is one of them.