- Nissan could kill the Altima and Versa in the near future.
- If this occurs, the company’s only remaining sedan would be the Sentra.
- An EV is on the horizon and Nissan says sedans are an important part of their product strategy.
The carpocalypse recently claimed the Chevrolet Malibu and Subaru Legacy, but the death toll is about to climb even higher. According to a recent report, Nissan could soon kill two of their sedans.
Citing people familiar with the matter, Automotive News is reporting the Versa will be dropped after the 2025 model year. Their reporting is backed up by AutoForecast Solutions, which says production will end next April.
More: The 2024 Nissan Versa Is America’s Cheapest New Car
If everything pans out, it would mean the death of the cheapest car in America. Versa pricing starts at $16,680 which makes it $4,500 cheaper than the Sentra.
Despite bargain basement pricing, sales aren’t what they used to be. In the 2010’s, Nissan regularly sold between 100,000 and 150,000 units annually in the United States. However, sales dropped to 13,399 units in 2022 and 24,807 units last year.
The Versa isn’t the only sedan on the chopping block as Automotive News goes on to say the Altima is slated to ride off into the sunset at the end of the 2026 model year. However, it’s possible the car could be saved as the publication says Nissan is “undecided about investing in a next-gen model.”
Only time will tell what happens, but Altima sales have fallen significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. In the mid 2010’s, Nissan sold more than 300,000 units annually for five consecutive years. Sales then dropped, eventually settling at around 200,000 units toward the end of the decade. However, in recent years, Nissan only sold 139,956 Altimas in 2022 and 128,030 in 2023.
Those are still decent numbers, so you can see why Nissan might be on the fence about another generation. However, if it gets approved, the Altima might return as a hybrid or plug-in hybrid.
On the flip side, if Nissan decides to forgo another Altima, it would leave the Sentra as their sole remaining sedan in America as the Maxima was dropped in 2023. Sales only hit 109,195 units last year, but its size and $21,180 price tag puts it in kind of a sweet spot.
Nissan wouldn’t talk specifics, but a spokesperson told the publication sedans “remain an important part of the company’s product strategy, providing advantages across several attributes, including cost of ownership.” Speaking of which, Nissan is slated to offer an electric sedan in the future.
