Tsuru's Fall and Versa's Rise
Mexico's Tsuru, tied to 4,000+ deaths, gave way to the Versa after a safety law mandate.
If you’ve ever been to Mexico City, you have likely ridden in a taxi like this one. You also probably did not know that that car, a Nissan Tsuru, had a zero-star safety rating.
The first Tsuru was made in the 80s in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca. After producing 2.4 million units with no significant changes to its design and build, Nissan stopped selling the Tsuru in 2018. This decision was unpopular with many Mexican car buyers, especially taxi drivers, because they appreciated its reliability and low price point (around $7,600). However, Nissan didn’t have a choice. The Tsuru suffered from a zero-star safety rating since it had no airbags or anti-lock braking system (ABS), and Mexico passed a law mandating that all cars for sale needed to include those two safety standards by 2019.
Reuters attributed the model to over 4,000 deaths in Mexico between 2007 and 2012. The Versa, which is now Nissan’s entry model vehicle, has become the best-selling car in Mexico during the last few years. However, millions of Tsuru cabs are still on the road, so avoid hopping into one next time you are in CDMX. For real, watch this video of both models crashing into each other; it might just save your life!