OREANDA-NEWS. February 12, 2016. The 2016 Nissan Versa has been recognized by Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com as the Subcompact Car category winner in its fifth annual 5-Year Cost to Own Awards, which recognizes new vehicles with the lowest projected ownership costs.

The awards are based on Kelley Blue Book's 5-Year Cost to Own data for new cars for the initial five-year ownership period. Among the factors taken into consideration are depreciation, expected fuel costs, finance and insurance fees, maintenance and repair costs, and state fees.

"New-car shoppers usually pay a lot of attention to how much a car will cost upfront; however, sometimes an even more expensive car on the front end can actually save you money during the first five years of ownership by having low total ownership costs," said Dan Ingle, vice president of vehicle valuations, industry solutions and international for Kelley Blue Book.

The 2016 Nissan Versa Sedan has a starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)* of \\$11,990 (Versa Sedan S with 5-speed manual transmission). For 2016, the SL grade has been reduced by \\$500 (versus the 2015 model), helping keep the strong sales momentum going for Versa Sedan. The 2016 Versa Note has a starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)* of \\$14,230 (Versa Note S with 5-speed manual transmission).

"Both the Versa Sedan and Versa Note have received a number of enhancements for the 2016 model year, adding to their already high value equation," said Michael Bunce, vice president, Product Planning, Nissan North America, Inc. "We are very pleased to be recognized by the vehicle valuation and information experts at Kelley Blue Book in this comprehensive examination of true ownership costs."

The Nissan Versa Sedan, one of the best-selling vehicles in the sub-compact sedan class, offers high value, exceptional roominess and mid-size vehicle technology without a mid-size price.  The 2016 Versa Sedan's standard 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine includes a range of fuel efficiency-enhancing technologies, such as a dual fuel injector system and a twin Continuously Variable valve Timing Control System (CVTCS) mounted on both intake and exhaust camshafts. The engine is rated at 109 horsepower and 107 lb-ft of torque.

Fuel economy with the available Xtronic transmission is rated at 31 mpg city, 40 mpg highway and 35 mpg combined – providing an estimated 400-mile driving range**. Fuel economy with the 5-speed manual transmission is rated at 27/36/30 mpg and 26/35/30 mpg with the 4-speed automatic transmission.

The 2016 Versa Sedan is available in four models – S (5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic), S Plus (Xtronic only), SV (Xtronic only) and SL (Xtronic only).

The 2016 Nissan Versa Note, while sharing many attributes with the popular Versa Sedan, has its own distinct look, feel and added hatchback utility – including ample cargo space with available Divide-N-Hide® Adjustable Floor. Now in its third year of production, Versa Note is offered in a range of five well-equipped models: S, S Plus, SV, SR and SL.

The 2016 Versa Note is powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine. Versa Note S features a 5-speed manual transmission, while the S Plus, SV, SR and SL models are equipped with a next-generation Nissan Xtronic transmission, helping these grades achieve 40 miles per gallon highway fuel economy**.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new and used cars this week. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com ranked highest in its category for brand equity by the 2015 Harris Poll EquiTrend® study and has been named Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year for four consecutive years. Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. is a Cox Automotive company.

*MSRP excludes applicable tax, title, license fees and \\$835 USD destination charges. Dealer sets actual price.  Prices and specs are subject to change without notice.

**2016 EPA Fuel Economy Estimate 40 (highway) multiplied by 10.8-gallon tank capacity, minus one gallon. Actual mileage may vary with driving conditions. Use for comparison purposes only.