Detroit: 2014 Nissan Versa Note pushes the little hatchback forward

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Budget, Hatchback, Nissan

Alright, truth time: The Nissan Versa isn't exactly our favorite car in the subcompact class. It's certainly competent, reliable transportation, but it's hardly an emotional purchase choice. Perhaps this new version of the Versa, then, can change our minds a bit. Meet the Versa Note - the cuter, five-door version of the li'l sedan, making its debut here at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.

Aesthetically, the Versa Note is a pretty pleasant-looking thing; we've seen it before in JDM-spec. It's a decidedly aerodynamic thing, too, with a drag coefficient of just 0.29. And because of that - as well as an efficient little powertrain - the Note will achieve up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

Under the hood is Nissan's 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine churning out a furious 109 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque. Like, well, every other Nissan car, the Versa is equipped with a continuously variable transmission and will drive the front wheels exclusively. Base S models can be had with a five-speed manual transmission, but the moment you step up to a higher trim level, the do-it-yourself shifter goes away.

There's a whole bunch of technological goodies available on the Versa Note, as well, including Nissan's excellent AroundView Monitor that'll give you a bird's eye view of your surroundings. NissanConnect is also available on SL models with the technology package, equipped with things like NavTraffic, NavWeather, hands-free text messaging, streaming audio, Pandora and Bluetooth, all housed in a 5.8-inch touch-screen.

What's really attractive about the Note is its starting price: $13,990. That represents a $2,000 increase over the base Versa sedan, but well undercuts a lot of competitors in the segment. The Versa note officially hits dealerships this summer. Scroll down for the official press blast.

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2014 Nissan Versa Note pushes the little hatchback forward originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/15/2014-nissan-versa-note-detroit-2013/

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