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Car and Driver
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Report: Nissan Stops Production of the Manual-Transmission Versa
Nissan has halted production of the manual-transmission Versa, according to a report from Automotive News. The Versa five-speed is the most affordable car on sale in the U.S. for the 2025 model year, starting at just $18,330. Fewer than 5 percent of Versas sold last year had the manual gearbox, and the 25 percent tariff on the Mexico-made sedan seems to have been the final nail in the coffin. UPDATE 5/29/25, 1:27 p.m.: Nissan confirmed that production of the manual-transmission Versa S has ended, and that production continues for the rest of the Versa lineup. In a statement, Nissan said, "We are focusing on the most popular Versa grades that deliver the strongest business performance and are in line with what customers are looking for from this type of sedan." Manual transmissions are increasingly rare in new cars, having mostly found refuge in high-performance sports cars such as the Porsche 911 or Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. Just a handful of affordable, mainstream models still let you row your own gears, and the five-speed-equipped Nissan Versa also held the special distinction of being the most affordable new car on the market. But now it appears that the manual-transmission Versa's time has come to an end, with Automotive News reporting that production of the Versa five-speed has stopped. The publication stated that a "person with knowledge of the matter" revealed that Nissan's factory in Aguascalientes, Mexico, is no longer assembling the manual-transmission Versa, although the CVT-equipped model continues in production. According to Automotive News, Nissan says the company is focusing on the "most popular" trims that have the "strongest business performance." We've reached out to Nissan for confirmation and will update this story when we've heard back. Nissan The reasons for killing off the Versa five-speed are likely twofold. For starters, very few people were opting for the Versa's DIY gearbox. Automotive News states that fewer than 5 percent of the 42,589 Versas sold last year had the five-speed transmission. That means only around 2000 Versas sold last year had the manual gearbox, already making it hard to justify keeping it around. But this tough business case for such a niche product was compounded by the 25 percent tariff on imported cars implemented by the Trump administration, which affects the Versa given its Mexican provenance. The manual-transmission Versa is the lowest-priced new car on the market for the 2025 model year, starting at $18,330, so a 25 percent tariff adds around $4500 to that price. While automakers might be able to absorb tariff costs on higher-priced vehicles while still returning a profit, the typically thin profit margins on affordable cars make such an increase far more damaging. Nissan previously projected that the tariffs could cost the automaker around $3.1 billion during the fiscal year that concludes next March. Nissan Removing the manual transmission will minimally affect sales while also simplifying the number of variants the Aguascalientes factory needs to produce, making the production process more efficient. While it's a shame to see another manual bite the dust, it's an understandable decision from Nissan, especially given the brand's recent financial troubles. With the manual transmission departing, the Versa will remain the most affordable car on the market, but its base price will likely rise to $20,130. But the Versa itself is not long for this world, expected to be discontinued within the next year as Nissan pares its sedan lineup from three models down to one. A next-generation Sentra is expected to grow in size to serve as a replacement for both the current Sentra and Altima, while the potential Versa customers will instead be directed to the $23,220 Kicks SUV. Caleb Miller Associate News Editor Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Motor 1
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
The Last Five-Speed Manual Is Dead
Manual transmissions aren't as popular as they used to be, and now, buyers will have one fewer option going forward. Nissan has allegedly ended production of the manual-equipped Versa , killing off the cheapest car you can buy in America today, and the last five-speed on the market. An unnamed source 'with knowledge of the matter' revealed to Automotive News that the Japanese automaker has halted making the Versa with the five-speed manual at its Aguascalientes, Mexico, factory. Motor1 reached out to Nissan for a comment about the alleged production stoppage, and a spokesperson confirmed "Versa S manual production will cease, while the rest of the Versa lineup continues as usual." Nissan said in a statement to Motor1 : 'We remain committed to offering a line-up that answers the evolving needs of customers and maintains Nissan's competitive edge. We are focusing on the most popular Versa grades that deliver the strongest business performance and are in line with what customers are looking for from this type of sedan.' Photo by: Nissan Nissan only offered the manual transmission on the entry-level Versa S, which starts at $18,330 (all prices include the $1,140 destination charge) for 2025. However, with that spec apparently dead, the Versa S with a continuously-variable transmission is now the brand's cheapest offering, at $20,130. With new car prices remaining at an all-time high and the threat of tariffs potentially increasing the cost of many new vehicles Nissan's more affordable models have seen an explosion in sales. The Versa was up 156 percent through the first three months of 2025. The Sentra , Altima , and Kicks , which all start at under $30,000, were also all up by wide margins. Photo by: Nissan Despite the Versa's popularity, the manual only accounted for less than five percent of the model's total sales according to Automotive News , and this could be the first sign things are coming to an end for the Versa model. There's speculation that Nissan will completely discontinue the Versa after the 2025 model year , replacing it with an electric sedan, but details are murky. That rumor started when Versa sales were struggling, but the market has changed, with the price of new cars only creeping upward. It seems that consumers do want cheap offerings, but don't want to shift their own gears. While the Versa was the last five-speed manual vehicle on sale in America, there are still plenty of six-speed options still available . Nissan Is Going Through Some Things: Nissan Might Sell Its Home to Survive: Report The Nissan Sentra Might Soon Be an American-Made Sedan Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Source: Automotive News Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
The Drive
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
The Last 5-Speed Manual in the US Is Gone as Nissan Discontinues Base Versa
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The $17,190 base-model Nissan Versa S, the last U.S.-market production car with a five-speed manual, is ending production. According to Automotive News , the manual Versa is the latest automotive tariff victim, as all Versas are built at Nissan's Aguascalientes, Mexico, plant and the base car is least popular. Looks like Nissan is trying to create as much savings as possible to handle the 25% tariff on cars imported from Mexico. A Nissan spokesperson told Auto News that it's trimming the fat down to the models with the 'strongest business performance.' The Drive reached out to Nissan for a comment, and we'll update this story if we get more details. When you go to Nissan's site and check out the Versa, the first thing you see under its name is 'Get the Nissan you want free from new tariffs.' So if Nissan is going to eat the additional tariff cost for customers, it can't be manufacturing cars that won't sell well. And manuals reportedly only accounted for 5% of Versa sales in 2024. Nissan As the manual Versa dies, it brings the five-speed manual transmission down with it. What was once a common drivetrain configuration is now a memory—when the last stick-shift Versa leaves a Nissan lot, there won't be any new five-speed manual vehicles for sale in the United States. Only six-speed and a few seven-speed manuals will remain. That isn't much of a surprise, given that six-speeds have been the norm for years. Nissan killed the five-speed manual in the last-generation Frontier pickup in 2020, Volkswagen killed off the entry-level five-speed manual Golf after the Mk7 ended in 2021, and Mitsubishi dropped the Mirage's five-speed in 2023. Still, this feels like a minor moment in car culture. Killing the manual Versa won't be a big sales hit, since barely any customers wanted it, but it will end Nissan's ability to market a sub-$18,000 car. It's always a bummer to see a manual transmission die, since they're are so few of them left. But I'm not sure how many people will care about the ancient five-speed Versa's. It's like when Lexus ended SC430 production, which was the last car with a cassette player. When a technology is so far past its sell-by date, does it really matter that it's gone? If you happen to buy one of the last stick-shift Versas, or if you've got one already, drop us a line because we're curious to hear what they're like to drive. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla takeover of suburban Detroit shopping center parking lot lands property owner in hot water
A shopping center with a shuttered Bed Bath & Beyond store is in violation of a Detroit suburb's city code for storing dozens of Tesla Inc. vehicles on its surface parking lot. In a statement, Charmaine Kettler-Schmult, director of planning and community development for Farmington Hills, Mich., said the landlord of the Hunter's Square shopping center has 'been notified that storage of vehicles is not a permitted use.' 'The enforcement process is being followed and takes time,' Kettler-Schmult said. The Tesla inventory takes up several rows of the parking lot. Some of the vehicles parked there on May 26 were Cybertrucks, which have seen disappointing sales so far this year. In March, Ford's electric F-150 Lightning topped the Cybertruck in U.S. registrations. Emails sent and voicemails left with Frank Jarbou, CEO of Royal Oak, Mich.-based Symmetry Management, landlord for the site, have gone unanswered since last week. The city declined to answer additional questions. Sign up to get the Automotive News Service & Parts weekly newsletter covering the world of dealership parts, service and collision departments. The Tesla storage — which is taking up a portion of the parking lot near the former Bed Bath & Beyond store and a still-open Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant — came to light in an Instagram post about a week ago. In February, Tesla opened a new-vehicle showroom and service center in a former Barnes & Noble space in neighboring West Bloomfield, Mich., clocking in at about 93,000 square feet, according to a report by Automotive News affiliate Crain's Detroit Business this year. That property is owned by EVWB LLC, an entity registered on Mack Avenue in Detroit to its developer, Michael Curis Sr. In a May 27 email, he declined to comment. The Hunter's Square shopping center is slated to get a major transformation, with a large portion of the site at 14 Mile and Orchard Lake roads expected to be demolished to make way for a new Meijer grocery store, plus other new retail users. Philip Nussel of Automotive News contributed to this report. Have an opinion about this story? Tell us about it and we may publish it in print. Click here to submit a letter to the editor.
Car and Driver
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Ford Recalls More Than 1 Million Vehicles with Backup Camera Issue
Ford is recalling more than one million vehicles over an issue with the center infotainment screen and rearview camera systems. The recall covers vehicles across the Ford and Lincoln lineups and includes cars from the 2021 through 2025 model years. Documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the rearview cameras may fail to work, resulting in a frozen or dark infotainment screen while the vehicle is backing up. Ford announced a massive recall of 1,075,299 vehicles due to an issue that may freeze the center infotainment screen or display a black screen while backing up. The huge number of recalled vehicles spans a large swath of both Ford and Lincoln's lineups and covers several model years. Marc Urbano | Car and Driver The 2021–2024 Bronco, F-150, and Edge and the 2023–2024 Escape, Corsair, and F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and F-600 trucks are all part of the recall, according to documents from NHTSA. Also involved: the 2022–2024 Expedition, 2022–2025 Transit, 2021–2023 Mach-E and Lincoln Nautilus, the 2024 Ranger and Mustang, and the 2022–2024 Navigator. Documents associated with the recall said that a software error within the Ford Sync infotainment system may lead to unexpected system resets. This may cause the screen to freeze or go blank, leading to frozen, delayed, or missing backup camera information. The documents show that there are no warning signs before the error occurs. Ford Documents associated with the recall show that Ford is aware of one minor crash related to the recall issue that resulted in property damage, though the automaker is not aware of any injuries related to the issue. To remedy the issue, owners will be asked to bring their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software updated—though this update isn't available yet. When it becomes available, vehicles with over-the-air update capabilities can be fixed with an OTA update instead of requiring a trip to the dealer. Ford and Lincoln dealers have already been notified of the recall, and owners will receive notification letters starting June 16. Additional owner notification letters will be sent once a remedy is available, with NHTSA anticipating that to occur in the third quarter of this year. Jack Fitzgerald Associate News Editor Jack Fitzgerald's love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn't afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. Read full bio
