Nissan Versa Gets Lighter, More Efficient

Nissan Motor Co.'s 2014 Versa Note mini-hatch is shorter, has more 20% more cargo space inside and is 17% more fuel efficient than this year's model.

With a curb weight of about 2,500 lbs, the car is 302 lbs lighter than the model it replaces. Nissan says two-thirds of the reduction came through a more efficient structural architecture.

The company boasts that the new model, which is six inches shorter than its predecessor, retains best-in-class rear seat legroom. The car's coefficient of drag was lowered 9% to 0.298 with a front spoiler, revised roofline, flush-to-floor rear suspension beam and air deflectors for the fuel tank and front and rear tires.

But Nissan credits most of the Versa's improved fuel economy to the car's redesigned continuously variable transmission. The new CVT is smaller and generates 30% less internal friction.

The transmission also features a two-speed planetary gear set that expands the drive ratio spread to 7.3:1 from 6.0:1. A torque converter and electrically actuated clutch enables the car to start in "low," then shift to "high" as road speed increases.

Nissan says the Versa Note with that system (and the company's first active grille shutter system) has an Environmental Protection Agency highway rating of 40 mpg compared with 38 mpg for the$14,000 base model with five-speed manual transmission.

The updated CVT is mated to a new 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine rated at 109 hp and 107 lb-ft of torque. Nissan says the powerplant delivers performance comparable to the 1.8-liter, 122-hp mill used in the Versa sedan because of the hatchback's lighter curb weight. The engine incorporates several fuel-saving enhancements, including redesigned combustion chambers, dual fuel injectors and a "smart" alternator that adjusts its charging pattern according to engine load.

Nissan makes North American versions of the 2014 Versa Note at its assembly plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico.