The gains aren't large by any measure - the Versa travels an extra mile on a gallon of gas, while the G37's ratings jump by 2 mpg. Nissan says the improvements stem mostly from transmission tuning - the Versa's CVT has been refined, while the G moves from a six-speed transmission to a seven-speed unit.
Recalibrating the Versa's CVT yields a fuel economy rating of 27/33 mg city/highway - impressive figures, but still behind its competition - Toyota's Yaris is rated at 29/36 mpg, while the Honda Fit returns 28/35 mpg.
Though Nissan's gains may seem small, Larry Dominique, Nissan's North American vice-president of product planning, says adding fuel economy forces automakers to surrender performance.
"You can give up a little," he said, "but you don't want to change customers' expectations."
Source: Automotive News