The Nissan Versa is the last gasoline-powered subcompact sedan available in Canada.
It will not be renewed in 2026, marking the end of its segment.
The title of the most affordable new vehicle in Canada therefore goes to the Hyundai Venue, with a starting price of $24,971.
Nissan is not renewing the Versa in 2026, signing the death warrant for subcompact sedans in the Canadian market. Indeed, the smallest of the Japanese manufacturer’s cars was the last in its segment since the disappearance of the Mitsubishi Mirage at the end of the 2024 model year.
The MINI 3 and 5 Door models, as well as the Fiat 500e, are technically subcompact cars, but their base price is around $40,000, which places them in a separate category.
A more significant change implied by the Versa’s withdrawal: the title of the most affordable new vehicle in Canada passes to the Hyundai Venue in 2026.
2025 Hyundai Venue | Photo: HyundaiWith a starting price of $24,971, this small subcompact crossover, built on the foundations of the defunct Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio, is therefore the least expensive of all new vehicles on the market, excluding rebates that may be offered by other manufacturers.
This signifies an increase of $1,556 compared to the 2025 Versa S, which still holds the title until dealership inventories are depleted.
Note, however, that this could be short-lived because a new version of the Venue could arrive in 2026 or 2027, likely with a higher price.
At Nissan, the new entry-level model will certainly be the base version of the Sentra, redesigned in 2026, but since the prices for this compact sedan are not yet known, we cannot comment. In 2025, this model starts at $26,515 with the manual gearbox. As it is no longer available on the 2026 model, we expect a new starting price closer to the $27,190 required to get your hands on a 2025 Sentra with a CVT.
This means that Hyundai could also boast of offering the most affordable sedan in the country, since the 2026 Elantra starts at $25,821.
This decision by Nissan will not help matters for drivers looking for a low-priced new vehicle, as these are the ones that have seen the largest increases in recent years.
Indeed, going back only four years, you could find 8 cars under the $20,000 mark in Canada, all fees accounted for, including some compact sedans.
Even worse, the cheapest car on the market at the beginning of 2021, the Chevrolet Spark LS with a manual gearbox, cost only $11,798.
This means we have witnessed an increase in the base price of a new car of over $13,000 in less than five years.
As no other more affordable models are planned in the coming years, many buyers will have no other choice but to turn to used vehicles.
