Nissan's Versa Note is gone after 2019, report says
Nissan's cheapest hatchback is reportedly going the way of the dodo bird thanks to slow sales and increased competition from more technologically advanced rivals.
Nissan's Versa Note is on death row, with the 2019 model year confirmed by Nissan to be its last, according to a report published Friday by Cars Direct. Nissan didn't immediately return Roadshow's request for comment.
The report is not especially surprising, because the Versa Note has always been just on the acceptable side of average. It was never the worst vehicle in its class (we're looking at you, Mitsubishi Mirage), but it's always been overshadowed by models that felt better built, better to drive or like better value for money.
An interesting note is that it's only the hatchback that is being discontinued. The Versa sedan will reportedly continue to soldier on. Why is that? Well, it's likely that buyers are ignoring the Note for other vehicles in the Nissan lineup like the surprisingly good Kicks.
Though it's been a while since we tested the Versa Note here at Roadshow, since our last full review in 2014, not a ton has changed. The Note got some relatively minor exterior tweaks for 2017, some USB ports got moved around and an update was made to the feel of the CVT transmission.
Would we be sad to see the Versa Note go? Not at all. Cars are getting better all the time and being merely cheap and efficient is no longer enough to convince people to buy them. It's an excellent example of why car brands shouldn't be content to rest on their laurels.
