SR is a sporty, pleasant and user-friendly ride
It’s no fun when your kid brother gets all the attention. Just ask Germaine Jackson or any of those taller and less cute Osmonds.
The Nissan Versa Note feels their pain. This reborn four-door compact hatchback wasn’t on sale for a year before the bratty Nissan Micra came along and stole its thunder. Trumpeted as the cheapest . . . er, least expensive car in Canada at $9,998, the ovoid little Micra got more press than a Kardashian butt lift.
“But hang on.” says the Versa. “We both use the same109 hp1.6L engine, and with my CVT I actually get better fuel economy in the city.”
Versa continues: “I also have way more interior room. And if you don’t want to suffer the embarrassment of manually cranking your windows and locking your doors with a key while sporting unsightly sweat stains due to the lack of air conditioning, you’ll have to pony up for the Micra SV at $13,698. Which is only $600 less than my starting price of $14,298.”
Point taken. But the Micra is still cuter.
For 2015, the Nissan Versa Note lineup grows to four trim levels with the addition of the topline sporty SR at $18,698. Below it are the S ($14,298), the SV ($16,098) and SL ($18,098).
“Sporty” is a relative term here, as there are no mechanical upgrades with the SR. What you do get for your extra coin are 16-inch alloys, aggressive front and rear fascias, powered exterior mirrors with LED turn signals, side skirts, a rear spoiler and some interior enhancements.
Inside, the faux-suede seats get a racy orange stripe but are not heated. Tsk, tsk. Clear “Fine Vision” backlit gauges stare back from the binnacle. The centre stack houses a 5-inch col- our display, and as can be expected from a car aimed at a connected-obsessed demographic, it offers Bluetooth audio streaming, hands free texting assist, USB, SiriusXM and NissanConnectTM Apps (smartphone integration for Facebook, Twitter and TuneIn Radio). The four-speaker AM/FM/CD/Auxin audio isn’t terrible (how’s that for an endorsement?) and the three large rotary knobs for HVAC control are what I call luxury in this age of obtuse menu-obsessed touch-screen interface madness.
Another “luxury” touch here is the piano black treatment of the centre stack. This fairly recent acceptance of polished black surfaces as a highend commodity must surely be a boon to the makers of cheaper cars. In a Bentley or Mercedes S Class, piano black means real wood, lovingly lacquered and buffed to a Steinway finish.
In a Versa it’s just shiny plastic. Looks pretty much the same to me.
This is by no means a criticism. The Versa’s main strengths are its accommodation and comfort. This is a roomy hatch with plenty of headroom, great outward visibility and a surprising amount of rear seat legroom. The ride is grown up smooth, and Nissan went to great lengths to reduce cabin noise with the adoption of double sealed doors, acoustic windshield and plenty of strategic insulation.
The SR gets the nifty Divide-NHide bi-level cargo floor that allows for maximum load capacity in its lower position, and when in the upper slot it creates a flat load floor with the rear seats folded while offering a covered security compartment.
As long as you’re not the impatient type, the Versa SR is a pleasant and user-friendly device. With only 109 hp and 107 lb-ft. on tap from the 1.6L four, one could say the performance is relaxed. Acceleration is adequate around town, and the CVT (continuously variable transmission) is generally well behaved. It’s only at highway speeds where calls for acceleration are answered with more noise than forward progress as the little four-pot earnestly drones away while the car plays catch-up. Once up to speed, however, the Versa is remarkably serene.
The payoff is good fuel economy. Based on the new and realistic fivecycle testing procedure, the Versa Note with CVT is rated at 8.6 L/100 km city and 6.5 L/100 hwy. My week of mostly highway driving netted 6.5 L/100 km.
As noted earlier, for only an extra $600, the base Nissan Versa Note S at $14,298 is a whole lot more car than the similarly equipped Nissan Micra SV at $13,698. However, this $18,698 Versa SR will be a tougher sell, especially now that the all-new 2015 Honda Fit is on the market. The vehicle tested by freelance writer Peter Bleakney was provided by the manufacturer. Email: wheels@thestar.ca