Nissan Teases Next-Generation Versa Sedan with Sketch

A sketchy teaser shot with a footnote that says "Nissan announced today that the next-generation Nissan Versa will be sold in the Americas" is about all we get from the Japanese automaker regarding its all-new subcompact sedan. There's a good chance we may see the 2012 Versa saloon getting its world premiere alongside the Murano CrossConvertible at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show in November, though nothing has been confirmed yet. We'll keep you up to date with any new information we receive, but for the time being, hit the break for a larger version of the teaser shot.

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Fire Hazard from Garmin Nuvi Prompts Recalls from Suzuki and Nissan

After Garmin announced a voluntary recall of 1.25 million units of its popular Nuvi GPS system at the end of August amidst concerns that the batteries could overheat and catch fire, Suzuki and Nissan followed with a recall on several vehicles equipped with the affected Garmin Nuvi navigation systems including the 750, 760, or 765 models for the same reason.

The recalled Garmin units can be found on certain Suzuki vehicles including the 2008-2010MY SX4 crossovers, 2010MY Grand Vitara SUVs, and 2009-2010MY Equator vehicles, and the 2008-2010MY Nissan Altima, Frontier, Pahtfinder, Rogue, Sentra, Versa and Xterra vehicles.

In both cases, the automakers will notify owners of the affected models, and the repairs will be performed by Garmin technicians who will replace the battery and insert a spacer on top of the battery free of charge.

2011 Nissan Versa Sedan and Hatchback Models get Price Hikes

Nissan has announced U.S. pricing for its 2011 model year Versa sedan and hatchback models. While the MSRP (not including tax, title and license fees) for the entry-level Versa 1.6 sedan remains unchanged at $9,990, prices for the other models of the range have increased.

For example, the 2011 Versa 1.8S 6MT hatchback gets a $370 price increase and will start at $13,520, while the 1.6 4AT sedan receives a $250 price hike and will now start from $12,240.

The only changes for the 2011 concern the addition of an in-dash 6-disc CD player for the Sedan 1.8 S, and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) for the Versa Sedan 1.6 (except 1.6 Base).

In addition, Nissan said that effective immediately, destination and handling (D&H) charges will increase $10 to $750 USD on select models, including the Versa, Sentra, Altima, Maxima, 370Z and Cube. D&H remains at $800 USD for Frontier, Murano, Pathfinder, Quest, Rogue and Xterra and $950 USD for Armada and Titan. D&H for the Nissan GT-R continues at $1,000 USD.

2011 Nissan Versa / Tiida Rendered, Gets New Turbo Engines

The Nissan Tiida, also known in the U.S. and Canada as the Versa, has been around in Japan since 2004. That is a long time in automobile-years so it comes to no surprise that Japanese magazines like “Best Car” have started publishing renderings of the Versa / Tiida’s replacement, expected in 2010. The artist’s rendering seen here, depicts a no-frills design proposal for the sedan variant that would also spawn a five-door hatchback version.

Best Car claims that, at least in what concerns the Japanese-market model, the 2010 Tiida / Verso will be offered with new range of turbocharged petrol engines. Since it is rumored that Nissan’s next-generation compact car will be based upon the Renault Megane architecture, the engine range could include Renault’s new 1.4-liter and 2.0-liter TCe turbocharged petrol units that deliver 130 and 180 HP respectively.

Expect to see the new Versa / Tiida hitting showrooms in the States and Europe sometime in 2011.

Rendering: Best Car

2008 Nissan Tiida / Versa Facelift Released in Japan

Four years after their initial debut in Japan, Nissan launched the subtlety revised 2008 Tiida 5-door hatchback and Tiida Latio 4-door sedan (called Versa in the States) in the domestic market today. The facelift models feature new exterior and interior designs, retuned electric power steering, powertrain enhancements and a new "Plus navi HDD" package, among other improvements.

In particular, both Tiida and Tiida Latio feature revised front-end designs, with new grilles, front bumpers and headlights while the 5d Tiida also gets new taillights and a rear bumper. Inside, the changes include the redesigned instrument cluster that features new illumination colours and a fuel consumption display function, a revised center stack with redesigned automatic air-conditioner controls and new illumination scheme, as well as new silver finishers. Additionally, new seat fabric patterns and stitching colors are available on all models. -Continued

The new Tiida and Tiida Latio models each receive a variety of powertrain enhancements, including the new availability of a 6-speed manual transmission on 1.8-liter models along with the retuned electric-assisted power steering system that promises to offer improved feel at low and high speeds.

Although Nissan hasn’t made any official announcement concerning the matter, we suspect that many changes will pass on the European Tiida and US market Versa models.