Nissan Serena S-Hybrid CKD Review Pt 2

In a number of reviews featuring D-segment vehicles, we have consistently highlighted how the RM150k price bracket tends to be the market sweet spot for many upper middle class buyers. There are corporate taxation reasons for this, of course, and it is the reason why the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry sell best at that price range.

Curiously however, MPVs are amazingly under-represented at this price range; there are only a handful of people carriers to choose from if you’re shopping with Accord 2.0 VTi-L money. Until a couple of years ago, your choices are limited to the Mazda5, Hyundai Starex, Honda Stream, and Peugeot 5008. Today, that pool of choices is expanded by only two models – the Mazda Biante and Nissan Serena S-Hybrid.

The C26 Serena S-Hybrid is a two-generation advancement of the older C24 Serena that is still widely used in our shores today, primarily amongst taxi and fleet operators. In 2013, it was launched as a fully-imported model and took advantage of the Government’s then hybrid vehicle incentive scheme to avoid the burden of taxation and offer itself to the market at a highly-attractive price of just under RM150k. Needless to say, it was very well-received.

A facelifted model was launched last November, coinciding with the start of local assembly at the Tan Chong Motor Assemblies plant in Serendah. We drove the revised version immediately upon its introduction, but here we re-examine our findings after spending a lengthier period of time with it.

Prices & Specifications

To recap from our previous review, pricing of the locally-assembled Serena S-Hybrid, which benefits from energy efficient vehicle (EEV) tax incentives from the Government, starts at RM138,800 with insurance in Highway Star trim. For the money, Nissan gives you keyless entry, electric-operated sliding rear doors, electronic stability control, dual frontal airbags, and LED illumination front and rear.

Our test vehicle for this review is the costlier Premium Highway Star grade, which for an additional RM10,700, gets you options such as Tan Chong Auto Tooling’s locally-developed multimedia navigator with reverse camera, roof-mounted LCD screen for rear passengers, leather seats, and window films. These items are dealership-fitted.

Mechanical package requires little introduction at this point; the engine is relatively new compared to other powertrains in the Nissan stable, being an updated version of the venerable 2.0-litre MR20 engine enhanced with direct injection technology. A compact ‘Eco Motor’ provides 50Nm of ‘start up torque’ from standstill, but beyond that, the petrol engine does all the driving with the ‘Eco Motor’ functioning as an alternator.

Exterior

We are not going to even pretend that the Serena is in anyway attractive or even pleasant to look at. It is at best purposefully practical and at worst outright awkward, an impression given no doubt by the fact that it is a vehicle that is taller (1,865mm) than it is wide (1,735mm).

Besides affecting its stance and also contributing to its exceptional headroom, the Serena’s tall height has another less mentioned consequence – a long tail gate, one which you need to give allowances for when you reverse park. Leave at least a meter of space if you plan to load and unload things.

One positive thing we can say about its appearance is that the revised fascia of this facelifted model looks significantly more upmarket than its predecessor. We like that it resembles the Elgrand, a vehicle which we regard as an excellent premium MPV.

Interior

You win some, you lose some. In the Serena’s case, that rule applies in the sense that for its less than pleasant proportions, you get a cabin that is spacious enough to be a small apartment. Whether you’re seating seven for a day’s outing or five with luggage for an outstation trip, you’re not likely to get complaints of cramped accommodations. That generous space is further maximized by its easily configurable seats and properly flat floor.

Those of you particular about interior cleanliness should be mindful about one thing though – the middle row seats slide forward and aft on floor-mounted rails, and to avoid getting the mechanism stuck, the floor mats are configured to match the rail patterns precisely and are held in place by Velcro. Be warned that removing and subsequently re-attaching them for cleaning can be a very tedious process, and we are speaking from experience. No faulting Nissan on this though, we can’t think of a better solution either.

Up front, the dashboard is generally praiseworthy for its practicality. There is no shortage of storage spaces, and its controls are fittingly simple for overall ease of operation. Our only gripe is a lack of steering-mounted audio controls, which in the case of our touchscreen-equipped test car, doubly unfortunate, as it makes switching between channels more distracting than it should be necessary.

Driving Experience

Cars such as the Ford S-Max and Mazda5 may have redefined what we thought possible about combining seven-seater capacity and driving fun, but if what you want is unhindered practicality and spaciousness as offered by the Serena here, you’ll need to recalibrate your expectations a little.

There is positive news in the sense that high speed stability is notably more convincing than the pre-facelift CBU model and that bump absorption is also substantially improved. Still, any form of aggressive driving is strongly discouraged, especially around corners where the vehicle’s high centre of gravity really makes its presence felt.

The engine is similarly less conducive to hard driving; its behaviour clearly tuned to favour gentle progress. Indeed, one quickly realizes that pushing this engine hard is a profoundly unpleasant experience – the tortured high-pitched engine note is all that’s needed to persuade one to ease off the gas pedal. Driven as it is intended, however, and that is with smooth throttle inputs, the Serena goes about its business in unflustered pleasantness.

Verdict

It says much about the Serena S-Hybrid’s suitability as a family vehicle that the absence of steering-mounted controls is, to us, perhaps the only deal-breaker in an otherwise well-considered package. Dynamics-wise, it is much-improved from its predecessor with the chassis seemingly gaining an added level of confidence and composure in the way it handles high speeds and sharp bumps. It’s still no Ford S-Max, however, so remember to ease off at corners.

If space is your key priority, however, and it’s hard to imagine why it wouldn’t be if you’re shopping for an MPV, the Serena S-Hybrid is difficult to look past. Save for the Hyundai Starex and perhaps the Mazda Biante, there isn’t another MPV in the market that offers you as much metal and internal volume for the money.