Three years after its debut in Japan, the long-awaited sixth-gen Nissan Serena has now officially arrived here in Malaysia. Codenamed C28, the new Serena is set to replace the ongoing C27 model, and it will arrive with Nissan’s second-gen e-Power hybrid powertrain system.
Ahead of its debut, we’ve been invited by local Nissan brand distributors Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) to size up this new hybrid MPV up close, and here are three things we learned about the new, sixth-gen Nissan Serena e-Power…
New Looks, Same Boxy Shape
As detailed prior, the C28-gen Serena gets a host of new exterior makeovers that showcase some of Nissan’s latest design elements.
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, while the front windscreen is still reclined, making out the boxy MPV bodystyle previous Serenas are known for.
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.
Rounding off the exterior details are the four colourways available for the new Serena, including three two-tone options with a blacked-out roof, like Turquoise Blue, Brilliant White, and Dark Metal Gray, plus Diamond Black.
New, Second-Gen e-Power Hybrid Powertrain
Perhaps the most significant upgrade given to the new Serena over the ongoing model lies beneath the bonnet, as the MPV now features Nissan’s second-gen e-Power hybrid powertrain system.
This setup features a 1.4-litre 3-cyl naturally-aspirated HR14DDe petrol engine that functions solely as a generator to juice up the system’s 1.769-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which in turn powers up the electric motor drive unit delivering 163 PS and 315 Nm to the front wheels (FWD).
Combined with its 51-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.
And just like the Kicks e-Power, the new Serena e-Power is driven solely by the electric motor, which gives it quick and smooth acceleration, just like you expect to find in a fully electric car.
To put the new e-Power system to the test, we were tasked to drive both the C27 Serena S-Hybrid, which is powered by a 2.0-litre mild-hybrid (MHEV) powertrain setup, and the new Serena e-Power.
Unlike the old Serena S-Hybrid, which is driven solely by the engine itself with its generator motor filling in the gaps, the new Serena e-Power is much smoother and features a more linear power delivery, even with the extra weight from its battery pack and motor.
Another benefit of the e-Power system is the e-Pedal driving mode, which uses the e-motor’s regenerative braking system to deliver the EV-like, single-pedal driving sensation, which is ideal to use in crawling urban traffic conditions. But in case you need the power, there’s also the Sport driving mode that helps to propel this peoplemover effortlessly.
Another impressive feat is how quiet and supple the whole ride experience feels, so much so that you hardly notice when the engine kicks in to generate juice for the battery.
ETCM also highlighted the extensive work Nissan engineers have put in to reduce motion sickness for the new Serena passengers, with key improvements including both the newly-designed front suspension system and the air curtain on the front bumper. While our drive experience was too short for us to elaborate further on the differences, we can immediately tell that the new Serena rides better and smoother than the outgoing model.
Launching in Q1 2026, First Nissan e-Power CKD Model in Malaysia
Before you get excited about the new Serena, this sixth-gen MPV has yet to make its official market debut, as that will take place sometime later in Q1 2026.
ETCM also did not shed any light on its indicative pricing, but as a reference, the outgoing C27 Serena S-Hybrid currently retails from RM149,888, so you can expect the new model to be priced somewhere around that region too.
Another interesting bit is that the new C28 Serena will also be the first Nissan e-Power model to be locally-assembled (CKD) here in Malaysia, set to take place at Tan Chong’s Assembly Plant in Serendah. This also makes Malaysia the first overseas market to assemble the new Serena and the second market after Thailand to ever assemble Nissan’s e-Power hybrid model.
So folks, what do you think of the new C28-gen Nissan Serena e-Power? Could this MPV become a more practical and family-friendly alternative to other popular hybrid SUVs out there?