2009 Nissan Versa

small car / 4-door sedan

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2007-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2007 Nissan Versa 1.8 SL 4-door hatchback

The Nissan Versa was introduced in the 2007 model year. The frontal offset crash test ratings apply to both the hatchback and sedan versions of the car through the 2011 model year. Beginning with 2012 models, the sedan was redesigned but the hatchback was not. Therefore the frontal offset ratings detailed below do not apply to the 2012 model sedan.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.

A high head acceleration occurred when the dummy's head hit the steering wheel through the airbag.

Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, and all leg and foot injury measures were low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0613
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 7
Left (cm) 10
Center (cm) 10
Right (cm) 12
Brake pedal (cm) 12
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 1
Right (cm) 3
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 1
Rearward (cm) -3
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0613
Head
HIC-15 492
Peak gs at hard contact 97
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.3
Extension bending moment (Nm) 17
Maximum Nij 0.37
Chest maximum compression (mm) 29
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.4
Femur force - right (kN) 3.0
Knee displacement - left (mm) 3
Knee displacement - right (mm) 1
Maximum tibia index - left 0.30
Maximum tibia index - right 0.33
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.8
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 1.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 70
Right 54

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2007-10 models built after November 2006

Tested vehicle: 2007 Nissan Versa 1.8 SL 4-door hatchback with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Nissan Versa was introduced in the 2007 model year, first as a hatchback and then as a sedan. Beginning with 2007 hatchback models manufactured after November 2006, changes were made to the side torso and side curtain airbags to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes (note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door).

The tested hatchback was manufactured after the modifications had been made. All 2007-10 Versa sedans have the modified side airbags.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side curtain airbag.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0642
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -6.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0642
Head HIC-15 445
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.1
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 29
Lateral force (kN) 1.7
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 39
Average deflection (mm) 35
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.37
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.64
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 2.5
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.5
Combined force (kN) 5.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.6
L-M moment (Nm) 147
A-P moment (Nm) 54

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0642
Head HIC-15 194
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 25
Lateral force (kN) 1.6
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 32
Average deflection (mm) 20
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 2.30
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.38
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.5
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.9
Combined force (kN) 2.1
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.7
L-M moment (Nm) 78
A-P moment (Nm) 42

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2007-11 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Nissan Versa 1.6 4-door

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 2,552 lbs
Peak force 9,414 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 3.69

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seats AHR

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual cloth seats AHR
Geometry
Backset (mm) 60
Distance below top of head (mm) 60
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 13.2
Head contact time (ms) 65
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 77
Max neck tension (N) 543

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.