New 2023 Nissan Almera's American twin, Versa gets a front makeover

The current Nissan Almera (N18) is a brilliant B-segment sedan with unfortunate baggage thanks to the name. The City/Vios rival is a favourite at the WapCar office and over in the U.S. of A, a facelift has been unveiled.

Sold as the Nissan Versa, the 2023 facelift will go on sale by the end of the year and the American public can get their first look at this weekend’s 2022 Miami Auto Show. Being a facelift, only the front gets a major change in the shape of a new front fascia with the trademark V-Motion grille aping that of the Volkswagen Arteon China-spec Nissan Altima.

Other new bits on the refreshed Versa include the updated, simplified Nissan logos, a new 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheel design, and a new Gray Sky Pearl paint colour. The rear remains the same as the pre-facelift but why fix something that already looks good?

Also read: What are the prettiest common cars ever sold in Malaysia?

The interior remains the same as the pre-facelift Versa with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto support, remote keyless entry, 3 USB ports, and a 4-speaker sound system available as standard.

Also read: Now with Android Auto, Thailand's Nissan Almera gets updated for 2022

The top-of-the-line SR gets heated front seats, a wireless charging pad, a 6-speaker audio system, remote engine start, a 7-inch driver display, an 8-inch infotainment system, and automatic climate control.

Below the SR variant is the S and SV and all 3 variants are powered by a naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre 4-cylinder DOHC engine (122 PS/155 Nm). Recall the Malaysian-spec Almera is powered by a smaller turbocharged 1.0-litre 4-cylinder unit (100 PS/152 Nm).

The refreshed Versa is paired with either a 5-speed manual transmission or an Xtronic CVT automatic gearbox. As seen in the pre-facelift, the former is only offered on the base S variant.

Also read: Here's why the manual transmission still matters

Similarly, safety features are pretty comprehensive on the updated 2023 Versa with AEB and LDW as standard. Additionally, the higher variants are available with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and intelligent cruise control.

Also read: Pros and Cons: 2020 Nissan Almera – Much needed upgrade, but still room for improvement

Prices for the refreshed Versa have yet to be announced but the Nissan B-segment sedan is one of the cheapest new cars on sale in America with the pre-facelift starting from USD 15,580 (RM 73k). Meanwhile, its Malaysian twin starts from RM 83,888 but it might be a while for us to see the facelifted Almera make its way here.

Also read: I used to dislike the Nissan Almera, but the N18 model changed it all