Nissan Serena e-Power Review: Power for the Public, Lifestyle News

Most car buyers are now familiar with hybrid cars, which are powered by both an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor. Most hybrids can be powered by just the internal combustion engine (ICE), the electric motor, or both at the same time. These are called parallel hybrids.

There is, however, a less common type of hybrid configuration called a series hybrid. These vehicles are primarily powered by the electric motor, with an internal combustion engine that serves only as a power generator to charge the battery, which in turn powers the motor that drives the car.

Nissan is one of the few automakers that has chosen to make production hybrid vehicles a cornerstone of its brand with its e-Power technology. And its latest Serena e-Power minivan shows how it has refined this technology for a more enjoyable driving experience.

What is e-Power?

As explained earlier, e-Power is Nissan’s series hybrid drivetrain system, consisting of an electric motor that drives the wheels and an ICE that charges the engine’s battery.

In effect, you’re driving an electric vehicle, except you don’t have to plug it in to charge it. Instead, you fill up with gas like you would any other regular internal combustion engine car.

This setup has several advantages. Since the engine doesn’t need to drive the wheels, it’s under less strain and can therefore operate at its optimum RPM at all times. Another advantage is that it only requires the most basic and affordable type of gasoline, potentially saving you money.

The latest Serena is powered by a 1.4-litre three-cylinder engine, which Nissan says is now quieter and more efficient than the previous Serena’s 1.2-litre unit. Regardless, power comes from the electric motor, which produces 161bhp and 315Nm of torque.

How does it work?

In fact, it’s very smooth. Since it’s an electric-powered vehicle, the power is delivered in a linear and progressive manner. It’s not fast, of course, but that’s not what it’s supposed to be, given its minivan nature.

On the contrary, the Serena offers plenty of refinement. At normal speeds, the car is as quiet as any electric vehicle you can name. Even when the internal combustion engine kicks in to recharge the battery, you’ll barely hear it running.

One interesting feature of the e-Power system is its regenerative braking. Nissan calls it e-Pedal, and basically the car brakes itself when you take your foot off the gas pedal. It’s a pretty strange feeling, because the braking force is quite strong and you don’t feel like you can modulate the braking power.

In the previous generation of the e-Power system, this regenerative braking was the standard setting, which made driving very surreal and unnatural. Thankfully, this time around, the e-Pedal mode is disabled by default and can be activated by pressing a button on the dashboard.

The rest of the car drives like you’d expect a typical family MPV to. The ride is comfortable, while the handling is neutral and uninspiring. This is a car that encourages you to relax and not stress too much after a long, busy day.

What about space and practicality?

Like most minivans, the Serena offers seating for seven. But it’s the way those seats are arranged that really impresses.

Access to the cabin is via the two sliding doors, but the Serena has an innovative trick that allows them to be opened simply by passing your foot under the door. One can imagine how useful this would be for busy parents with their hands full of shopping and children.

Passengers in the second row have individual seats that can be moved not only forward and backward, but also sideways, to create a passageway in the middle for access to the third row. There are also fold-down tables with integrated cup holders on the backs of the seats, much like those found on an airplane.

Rear passengers get a more traditional bench seat, but the Serena’s space and versatility mean it can comfortably accommodate adults. Nissan says there’s 1.4 metres of headroom, allowing even the smallest children to stand up to move around the cabin (when it’s safe to do so, of course).

With all the seats up, there isn’t much room for luggage in the trunk. But the seats can of course be folded down if you need more space to store larger items like bikes or big bags.

The Serena’s highlight is its split-opening tailgate, where the window can be opened separately. This comes in handy in tight parking lots where you’re leaning against a wall and there’s not enough space to fully open the tailgate.

Up front, the Serena further enhances that sense of space, with a dashboard designed to leave the floor free, so you can easily move from the driver’s seat to the passenger’s, and vice versa. There’s a handy tray between the seats for storing your loose items, while the wireless smartphone charger sits just below the climate controls.

What if I want to accommodate an additional person?

There’s actually an eight-seater version of the Serena, called the Premium, but unless you absolutely need to carry that many people, it’s not really a worthwhile purchase as it comes with a number of features missing from the seven-seater model, called the Highway Star Prestige.

In addition to the two individual middle seats now being converted into a bench, the eight-seater Premium model is missing a wireless charging station up front, as well as reduced screens for the instrument cluster and infotainment system. The hands-free automatic sliding door is also limited to the left side for the Premium model.

As a result, the eight-seater version costs around $5,000 less than the seven-seater Highway Star Prestige, which costs $212,800 with COE (as of September 2024). But we think it’s worth shelling out the extra cash simply because of what you get for that money.

Whichever variant you choose, you’ll have a spacious, comfortable and fun-to-drive family MPV. And thanks to the e-Power drivetrain, you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits and efficiency of electric driving without the hassle of charging.

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