The Versa was introduced in the United States and Canada in July 2006 as a 2007 model. North and Latin American models of the Tiida use a DOHC 1.8-liter gasoline engine and are assembled at Nissan's Aguascalientes, Mexico assembly plant. It is also the only Nissan four-door passenger car in the United States and Canada to be sold worldwide, since the Sentra, Altima and Maxima are exclusive to North America.

According to a Nissan press release in 2008, "versa" is short for "versatile space" meant to imply the spaciousness of the interior and configurable cargo arrangements.

The North American Versa debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January of the same year. The hatchback model was introduced first, with the sedan arriving later at the end of the year, both as 2007 models. A 1.6-liter sedan replaced the 1.8-liter sedan in Canada for the 2009 model year, that year in the United States the 1.6 sedan was added to the lineup along the 1.8 sedan.

The Versa is powered by a 1.8 L I4 MR series engine producing 122 hp (91 kW) and 127 ft·lbf (170 N·m). Three transmissions are offered: a four-speed automatic, a continuously variable...