Like its exterior, the Versa's interior is plain yet functional,
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| Versa's simple interior has nearly six feet of floor-space. That's bigger than most full-size sedans! (Photo: Nissan Canada) |
featuring simple styling to accentuate the cabin's roominess. It doesn't have the futuristic digital and electroluminescent display of the new Civic or Mazda3, but the Versa brings a bevy of storage bins and useful cubbies to the party, all of which are placed logically for easy access. Light colours and splashes of plasticized aluminum give the cabin an airier feel than many in the class, while the vastly improved plastics, put together with tighter gap tolerances make the Versa appear like a high quality item - words you wouldn't exactly hear describing the Sentra.
On the theme of practicality, both Versa models offer large trunks. The four-door sedan has 467 litres (14.5 cu-ft) of space readily availably, while the five-door hatch makes use of a neat sliding rear bench, which can be configured for cargo hauling or people carrying. If you have a full load of gear a fewer passengers, slide the rear bench forward by 240 mm (9.4 inches) to make 463 litres (16.4 cu-ft) of cargo space. Should your duties consist of shifting passengers six feet tall or more, move the bench back to maximize the rear legroom. You can still carry plenty on board in the hatch with the seat shifted to the back, as 289 litres (10.2 cu-ft) are still available. Of course, both cars feature split folding rear seats for when the trunk just isn't enough.
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| With up to 467 litres (14.5 cu-ft) of cargo space, there's plenty of room for stuff as well as people. (Photo: Nissan Canada) |
In keeping with the cost-cutting spirit, Nissan won't be building the Versa overseas and shipping it across the Pacific. For all of its efforts in design, that would be money wasted. Instead, the Versa will be assembled at the Aguascalientes plant in Mexico, the current home of the Sentra. The addition of the Versa should help boost the plant to 70 percent capacity. Production will begin in 2006, with deliveries of the hatchback in late summer, and the sedan in autumn.
While the Versa seems like a solid replacement to the Sentra, Nissan has confirmed that a new Sentra will be along within two year's time. Check out today's news (Nissan Launches Bluebird Sylphy in Japan) for a hint as to what it might look like.
