2026 Nissan Almera surfaces – new face, new tail, split headlamps, same side profile, more ADAS features?

These photos of the new 2026 Nissan Versa – known to you and I as the Nissan Almera – have been posted by Carscoops from various Mexico-based Facebook groups – the car was apparently undergoing promotional shooting there. It’s likely to first go on sale in Latin America.

Striking-looking, isn’t it? Split headlamps (LED DRLs above, headlamps below) are all the rage these days, and this has, IMHO, led to a much cleaner face than the busy one before this. The slim DRLs are bridged by a gloss black strip on which sits the Nissan roundel. The grille is not only full-width but slightly wrap-around, incorporating the headlamps and indicators. The lower intake is just as neat, with subtle chrome embellishments. Nice directional alloys, too!

On to the design of the back, which I find slightly less successful. No end-to-end tail lamps; they’re joined by a thick gloss black bar on which the Versa script sits. It looks like only the inner halves of the tail lamps (the parts on the boot lid) are new; the outer halves appear to be of the same shape as before. But the internal graphics are totally new, including a warm-glow underline signature. The number plate is now on the rear bumper, which somehow gives off BMW M vibes – or is it just me?

Now for the controversial question – is this considered a second facelift or a new generation? You’ll notice we’re not even putting the word ‘all’ in front of ‘new’ because the side profile is clearly the same as before (we’ve been down this road recently with another budget sedan in Malaysia?), down to that distinctive C-pillar kink. It therefore wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the same Nissan V platform, although we wouldn’t rule out some refinements and improvements.

The Versa in the US has a 124 PS/154 Nm HR16DE non-turbo 1.6 litre four-cylinder engine. This is likely to continue its duties, but this time it should be connected only to a CVT, as the manual (America’s last five-speed manual) was dropped earlier this year. ASEAN, Malaysia included, uses a 100 PS/152 Nm 1.0 litre turbo three-cylinder engine and a CVT (the Philippines also has a manual option).

We don’t know what the new interior looks like yet, but reports speculate a refreshed layout, a digital instrument panel, updated infotainment and more ADAS features. Malaysia hasn’t even gotten the first facelift yet (sounds familiar?). The refreshed fourth-gen N18 debuted in the US in October 2022, Thailand in May 2023 and the Philippines in July 2023, so to say we’re a bit behind would be a gross understatement.

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