Could Nissan Give Us the Cheapest New Car in America Again?
Key takeaways
- Nissan used to offer the lowest-priced new car in the U.S., then tariffs came calling.
- But then the Versa S manual was quietly dropped in May 2025, and by the end of the year, Nissan had stopped selling the Versa for the U.S. market altogether.
- Does Nissan still see a market for ultra-affordable vehicles like the Versa in North America? “I think so, but there is context,” Nissan Motor Corporation president and CEO Ivan Espinosa told us.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
Nissan used to offer the lowest-priced new car in the U.S., then tariffs came calling.
The Nissan Versa subcompact sedan was the cheapest new car you could buy in America for the 2025 model year, and for part of that time, the Versa S equipped with the five-speed manual transmission was the last new car of any kind you could buy in the U.S. for less than $20,000.
But then the Versa S manual was quietly dropped in May 2025, and by the end of the year, Nissan had stopped selling the Versa for the U.S. market altogether. Assembled in Mexico and suddenly subject to a 25 percent tariff, it was no longer a financially feasible proposition for Nissan to keep selling it in America. The Versa is still sold in Mexico and other markets.