This sensible, electrified Nissan 7-seat people mover will supposedly arrive here in February 2026.
It has certainly been a long time coming, but Nissan Malaysia is finally set to replace its ancient Serena. A new iteration of the Japanese automaker’s ever-sensible 7-seater is slated to arrive within the first quarter of next year, and it’ll be locally assembled from the start in Segambut.
Now getting the elephant in the room out of the way first, it is worth highlighting that this new Nissan Serena not exactly all-new. This C28 iteration after all first made its global debut in late 2022, and has already been on sale in neighbouring countries for a few years.
In any case though, it still does look relatively fresh and modern. This Serena’s exterior aesthetic is more evolution than revolution, keeping the familiar boxy silhouette but adding a few cleaner, crisper details. There features a signature V-motion grille reminiscent of the premium Elgrand up front, 17-inch alloys down the side, and a set of smoked LED tail lights rounding off its rump.
The biggest USP here with this upcoming Serena is likely what lies under its hood, as this 7-seater comes with Nissan’s the second-generation e-Power system. A 1.4-litre naturally aspirated inline-three petrol engine (making 98 PS and 123 Nm) acts purely as a generator for the front electric motor, which itself produces 163 PS (161 hp/120 kW) and 315 Nm of torque.
The Serena mirrors the Kicks in having no mechanical link between the engine and the wheels, which also means there’s no conventional transmission. A 1.77 kWh lithium-ion battery mounted beneath the floor between the front seats stores a small reserve of electrical energy, with the rest converted from the petrol in its 52-litre tank.
The benefits of e-Power should be familiar to most by now: that instant, EV-esque shove that’ll surely please moms and dads in a hurry. Those in the back should still be fine even if mommy or daddy lets the red mist descend, as the all-new C28 Serena e-Power features a revised suspension setup that is apparently designed to “help reduce motion sickness”.
While interior details remain under wraps for now, overseas versions offer a good indication of what to expect. A pair of 12.3-inch displays — one for the instrument cluster and one for the infotainment system — is set to feature, accompanied by dual-zone auto climate control, a Qi wireless charger, a camera-based rear-view mirror and an onboard air purifier system.
As before too, the Serena retains a seven-seat 2-2-3 layout. The middle row features sliding and reclining captain’s chairs, while the third row folds up along the cabin sides.
And as expected from the winner of Technology Car of the Year 2023 at the Japan Car of the Year awards, the Malaysian-spec Serena will come with a suite of ProPilot driver assistance features. These include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, a driver attention monitor and automatic high beam. Six airbags and stability control are also standard.
Pricing for this sensible 7-seater remains a closely guarded secret for now. Given the amount of newness with this new Serena though, it is not hard to imagine it nudging slightly above the RM 149,888 and RM 163,888 commanded by the outgoing iteration.
