First Drive: Nissan Serena e-Power (C28) – Still The Ideal Peoplemover?

The upcoming C28-gen Nissan Serena e-Power has all it takes to become a practical and highly efficient peoplemover.

It is no secret that local Nissan vanguard Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) is planning to launch the long-awaited sixth-gen (C28) Nissan Serena here in Malaysia, more than three years after making its global debut in Japan.

Following the first preview late last year and in preparation for its launch later in March 2026, ETCM has invited a handful of local automotive media to test out the new Serena and its proprietary e-Power hybrid powertrain technology in an overnight trip from Petaling Jaya to Kuantan, Pahang.

After spending a considerable amount of time behind the wheel and in the passenger seat of this MPV, here are several things we learned about the new Nissan Serena e-Power and why we think this car has got all it takes to become a highly efficient and practical peoplemover…

THE CAR

Before we get into the driving impressions, let us have a quick walk through the new Serena to see how this sixth-gen model differs from its popular predecessor.

C28-gen Nissan Serena e-Power (left) vs the outgoing C27-gen Nissan Serena S-Hybrid (right).

As detailed in our prior report, the C28-gen Serena Serena gets a host of new exterior makeovers that showcase some of Nissan’s latest design elements, while retaining its signature boxy MPV bodystyle.

Up front, it adopts a new V-Motion grille design, featuring horizontal slats that are integrated with the car’s LED headlights to create a uniform look. Also present here are the vertical air inserts flanking the main air curtain, which Nissan engineers claim to help in reducing motion sickness for passengers inside this boxy MPV.

From the side, the new Serena still gets the same dual-powered sliding doors as before while riding on new 16-inch two-tone alloy wheels. The redesign work continues at the rear, as the new model adopts sleek vertical LED taillights with boomerang-shaped lighting signatures, a split tailgate opening with a clean rear bumper design, and the new e-Power emblem.

Dimension-wise, the C28 Serena e-Power spans 4,765 mm long, 1,715 mm wide, and 1,870 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,870 mm—making it shorter, narrower, and taller than the outgoing C27-gen model.

On board, the new Serena retains the same three-row seating layout that offers up to 13 different configurations, depending on your needs and preferences.

Some new amenities primed here include a new 12.3-inch central infotainment screen that supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital metre cluster, manual zero gravity-inspired seats for the first and second rows, a dedicated A/C control panel with button-style gear selector, six USB charging ports, a wireless charging pad, an electronic parking brake (EPB), black Nappa combination leather upholstery, and more.

Rear passengers also get their own 14-inch fold-down entertainment screen, a dedicated A/C panel with vents for each row, second-row tray tables with two cup holders each, and hands-free dual power sliding doors.

While the absence of powered front seats or even a powered tailgate might raise some eyebrows, the new Serena’s minor yet significant improvements are still enough to make the new model a much better peoplemover than before, and that is before we talk about its new powertrain setup…

THE DRIVE

By far the biggest and most important improvement for the new C28-gen Serena is the introduction of the new, second-gen e-Power hybrid powertrain system, which puts this new MPV in its own realm against other popular family MPVs out there.

The second-gen Nissan e-Power hybrid system uses a bigger 1.4-litre 3-cyl engine as its base, but featuring a smaller 1.769 kWh battery pack in return.

Unlike the first-gen system found on the Kicks e-Power, the new Serena’s e-Power setup uses a larger 1.4-litre 3–cyl nat-asp petrol engine that solely acts as a generator to juice up its 1.769-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is smaller than the previous-gen version.

In return, the small battery pack powers up the single electric motor that sends 163 PS and 315 Nm of power exclusively to the front wheels (FWD). Combined with its 52-litre fuel tank, Nissan claims the e-Power system is capable of delivering a fuel economy rate as low as 18.5 km per litre (NEDC), plus a maximum travel range of up to 1,000 km.

From the get-go, we can immediately feel that the new Serena e-Power felt smoother and less sluggish than the previous model’s S-Hybrid mild-hybrid system, and in urban traffic conditions, the MPV drove like an EV, as the engine rarely kicks in at low speeds. There’s also the e-Pedal single-pedal driving mode that would be a godsend in 

But once we hit the highway, the engine started to kick in occasionally, but you won’t even notice it until you really floor the accelerator pedal. En route to Kuantan, the Serena e-Power climbed through the steep climbs of the KL-Karak expressway in a relatively easy manner, and we did not encounter any battery overheating issues along the way.

One aspect that Nissan really emphasised about the new Serena is the introduction of several anti-motion sickness technologies that promise to make this a more comfortable peoplemover than the previous model. This includes the sway-reducer air curtain on the front bumper, the newly-developed SUV-based front suspension with improved electric power steering, an improved brake control system, and more.

Immediately after spending time on the passenger seats, we noticed that the new Serena does feel more comfortable and smoother compared to other more entry-level compact MPVs out there, and the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) level was also respectable. That said, the boxy MPV still felt a bit unsettled, especially during high-speed cornering, but this could be easily avoided if you tackle corners in a more conservative manner.

But once you hit highway speed and are on a straight line, the new Serena cruises through the tarmac in a relatively smooth and comfortable manner, and the boxy MPV feels quite stable even at speeds higher than what we normally drive in this kind of vehicle.

What’s also good here is the comprehensive active safety system, with Nissan’s ProPilot suite including all essential ADAS functions like Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) with Intervention, Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Intelligent Emergency Braking (IEB) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW), and many more.

CONCLUSION

To sum things up, the new Serena’s e-Power hybrid system not only helps the MPV to be more economical than before but also makes for a smoother and more comfortable ride, especially when paired with several anti-motion sickness improvements granted to it. So long as you don’t expect it to be as smooth as your luxury MPVs, the Serena C28 makes for a pretty good and relaxing peoplemover that families will surely appreciate.

With a tentative price ranging from RM160,000 to RM180,000, the new Serena C28 could still become the most affordable new MPV with dual sliding doors you can buy today, given that most of its similar-sized rivals are either not officially sold in the country or feature a more conventional door setup.

Just like the outgoing C27 model, the new C28 Serena will also be locally assembled at ETCM's Rawang plant.

Yes, the new Serena does carry a hefty premium over the outgoing model, but given the improvements we’ve seen and experienced, plus the effort made by ETCM to locally assemble (CKD) this MPV at its Rawang plant, we’d reckon the price hike is somewhat justified.

Not to forget, customers will also get a comprehensive warranty package for said prices, including a 5-year or 100,000 km vehicle warranty and a separate 8-year or 160,000 km warranty for the e-Power components, including the lithium-ion battery pack, inverter, motor, and the e-Power control unit.

So in case you’re in a market for an MPV with dual sliding doors that offers decent practicality and sublime efficiency but refuse to spend more than RM180,000 for one, then the new Nissan Serena e-Power is really the perfect choice for you and your family.