How Boat Buying Is Being Made Easier

It's another blow for automotive affordability

• Nissan has ended U.S. production of the Versa, long the cheapest new car sold in America.

• The subcompact sedan will not return for the 2026 model year, leaving a higher price floor for new vehicles.

• Its exit underscores the steady disappearance of truly affordable new cars from the U.S. market.

Yet again, the cheapest new car in America is exiting stage left. The Nissan Versa will not see a 2026 model year, with production for the U.S. market officially ending this month.

In a brief statement, Nissan said the decision aligns with its broader product strategy. In line with Nissans product strategy, the Nissan Versa ended production in December 2025 for the U.S. market, the automaker said. Nissan remains committed to offering affordable and stylish vehicles in the sedan segment with models like Sentra and Altima, while also offering strong value in the compact SUV segment with the Kicks, Road & Track reported.

With the Versa gone, the 2026 Kia K4 sedan is currently positioned as the least expensive new car available, with a starting price around $23,385.

The cheapest new Nissan now costs more than $23,000

At the end of its run, the Versa started at $20,435 with an automatic transmission, the only version still in production after Nissan discontinued the manual earlier this year. With the Versa gone, the least expensive 2026 model-year Nissan will be the Sentra, which starts at $23,845. The subcompact Kicks crossover follows closely at $23,925.

No other new vehicle on sale today comes close to the Versas roughly $20,000 starting price. For the 2026 model year, the title of cheapest new car in America shifts to the Kia K4, which carries a base price of $23,385.

Affordable cars continue to disappear

Perhaps thanks to its bargain positioning, the Versa was selling relatively well earlier this year. Over time, it evolved into a good enough affordable sedan, offering a respectable amount of technology and a driving experience that was no longer the penalty box it once was especially compared with its late-2000s days, when it was famously marketed with a sub-$10,000 price tag.

What its departure highlights most sharply is the continued erosion of affordability in the new-car market. Each year, the cost of entry for a new vehicle with a factory warranty rises, and the loss of the Versa marks another step in the steady retreat of truly low-cost new cars in the United States.