Many, many years ago I remember visiting the Toronto Auto Show with my whacked out step father, who freaked that a certain Germanic pocket rocket was over $8000. That same year, my Mom fell in love with a Skoda of all things, which was somewhere around the 4 grand mark if I recall correctly. That was a very long time ago and the automotive landscape has changed dramatically. For some time now, the cheapest car on the market has hovered in the 14 to 15 thousand dollar mark. That all changed earlier this year when Hyundai offered a specially priced Accent that was actual sub ten grand: for a while. Currently, the entry level Accent stickers at $13,595 here in Canada and $11,070 south of the border. Nissan is raising lowering the bar with the introduction of the 2009 Versa sedan.

$12,498 in Canada, $9,990 is the States.

This is not a sale price, this is MSRP! Beyond the price, the list of available items is unbelievable: power windows, air conditioning, keyless entry, 6 airbags and more. For those looking for an entry level vehicle that gets great fuel economy, Nissan has just become the place to begin their search.

Oh yes, fortunately the parental units never brought home one of those Eastern European abominations!

Full details from Nissan after the break
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While Indian automaker Tata has made huge waves world wide with their $2,500 Nano, the story really doesn’t have too much teeth here in North America where we will never see the car. Hyundai on the other hand is making some serious moves to move cars on this continent. When was the last time anyone sold a new car for less than 10 grand in Canada?

Not long ago, Hyundai launched an anniversary edition in Quebec only that was selling for just $9,995! Of course the response was so incredible that the offer has been expanded to the rest of the country. With all the stories of consumers heading south of the border to buy cheaper priced new cars, Hyundai has taken the bull by the horns and solved that issue. At $9,995, the Accent is now cheaper in Canada than it is in the USA. Ok, so it is only 5 bucks, but it’s still cheaper!
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