Popular sedan bites the dust as carmaker confirms model will be discontinued forever in 2026

A HUGELY popular sedan is nearing the end of the road – as dwindling demand will see it taken off the market by 2026.

As affordable new cars gradually become a thing of the past, US drivers will find picking up a vehicle that’s priced at under $20,000 increasingly more difficult.

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Nissan’s ever-dependable Versa has reached the end of the road[/caption]

Nissan

The Versa has been on the market since 2006 and has lasted over three generations[/caption]

Currently, the dependable Nissan Versa holds the title of America’s last new car priced at under $20,000.

But, according to Car Edge, that isn’t enough to keep it alive – as the Japanese firm has confirmed the Versa will be discontinued in 2026.

Nissan has confirmed that the Versa will be discontinued in 2026, citing low profit margins and declining customer demand for budget sedans as their primary reasons.

The phase-out is occurring in two steps.

For the 2025 model year, Nissan will stop production of the Versa’s five-speed manual transmission.

After that, the entire Versa lineup is expected to be retired as part of a broader strategic shift – with the company focusing on more profitable vehicles such as SUVs and electric cars.

As part of this strategy, Nissan is streamlining its sedan offerings.

The brand has already ended production of the Maxima and plans to discontinue the Altima after the 2026 model year.

This will leave the Sentra as Nissan’s sole remaining sedan in the US, which is positioned to attract first-time new car buyers.

For fans of the Versa, known for its affordability and practicality, its discontinuation signals the end of an era.

Nissan isn’t alone in moving away from the budget subcompact sedan segment.

Indeed, several other manufacturers have also phased out their small sedan models in recent years.

It is suggested that potential Versa buyers may now be steered toward the Nissan Kicks; a subcompact SUV that shares a similar platform and offers comparable features.

The Versa, short for “versatile space” according to Nissan, was designed to highlight its spacious interior.

Since its debut in 2006, the Versa has spanned three generations, with over one million units in the US.

SHUT UP SHOP

This comes as Nissan revealed they are set to close seven plants as part of a major cost-cutting and restructuring strategy.

Among them is the Japanese giant’s flagship Oppama plant, located southwest of Tokyo, which has been operational since 1961.

Known as Nissan‘s “mother factory”, it employs nearly 4,000 workers and has produced more than 17.8 million vehicles to date – many of them the brand’s most iconic models.

The company has been racking up huge losses in recent times, due in part to slipping vehicle sales in China and elsewhere, as well as huge restructuring costs and ballooning inventories.

As a result, they’ve been forced to make several difficult decisions – including laying off staff, closing factories, and even musing with the idea of merging with rivals Honda.

The closure of their Oppama hub is the latest of them, and will see its vehicle production transferred to Nissan Motor Kyushu Co. Ltd. in Fukuoka Prefecture.

According to Car & Driver, the move will affect some 22,000 jobs in an overall plan that sees seven plants closed by fiscal year 2027.