Vis-a-Versa

I like little cars – they’re so much easier to purchase, run, drive and park. About the only thing I wish for little cars is big car interior space. Somebody has yet to make a large interior for a little car, although many use little tricks to make a little car seem and behave as if it had more space than it really does.

The Nissan Versa is one of those little cars that does everything it can to make it seem bigger than it is (or its competitors are, by comparison) and I have to admit that it does perhaps a better job of it than some of its rivals.

The main reason is that it IS bigger than all its rivals in just about every exterior and interior dimension. It falls short of the Hyundai Accent/Kia Rio siblings in overall length but makes up for it with a wheelbase that is second to none. And yet it remains the cheapest car in its class (a seat usually reserved for the Korean twins).

Versa came about in 2006 to fill the sub-compact gap at the bottom of Nissan’s line-up (much the same way Fit and Yaris did for Honda and Toyota, respectively), with its calling card always being that it was larger than its competitors. The sedan version arrived later that year to appease U.S. buyers still iffy on hatchbacks.

The dimensional breakdown between Versa sedan and hatch is negligible, leaving the only differences the roofline and versatility. Although I find the hatchback design much more utilitarian, Versa strikes a healthy compromise with a wide trunk opening (the panel actually wraps over the fenders) and split folding rear seatbacks that allow longer items to be carried.

The rear seats themselves are smoothly upholstered and decently padded for long-trip comfort. A short cushion and scooped out front seatbacks allow a more comfortable leg position but it’s still a tight proposition for 96th percentile males. Headroom shouldn’t be a problem. Two adults will ride comfortably back there, but three abreast is still a tight squeeze exacerbated by a slightly intrusive floor hump.

Wide seats up front insure comfort and support, though Versa is not one of those cars you want to push through a handling course. The wide stance and suspension (front strut, rear torsion beam) insure a flat cornering stance but the basic sedan’s skinny 14-inch wheels just give up way to early.

Mind you, there isn’t much of a push from the 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, which is meant to appease the gas scrooge in the owner. Combined with our tester’s optional four-speed automatic, it really doesn’t offer much of a slalom-racer (which is fine, provided you know what’s important). At least, Nissan didn’t slip in one of its CVTs to make it a complete wash.

Versa sedans only come in one trim level with the 1.6 engine, whereas hatchbacks come only with a 1.8-litre “four”. Barely breaking the 100-hp mark, the engine isn’t meant as the base for any land-speed records. However, it also isn’t much of a fuel miser, either, and a smallish fuel tank makes for a shorter range.

All that said, there isn’t really much difference in performance between the Versa sedan and its chief rivals either in power or economy. So, that means you’re back to comparing the cars on looks and space utilization.

We’ll leave the judging of looks to you, but on paper it’s hard to go against any car that offers more room for the family at a price that is cheaper than the others in the market.