Jump LinksSomebody Who Has A Family Designed This CarYou Can Also Use It For BusinessThe Nissan Global Headquarters Gallery is the largest car dealership we've ever been to. Not only can you see every Nissan currently on sale in Japan, but there are several classic models and concept cars to admire while you wait for a coffee from one of the two restaurants on site. On a trip to Japan, we asked Nissan if we could drive some of the products we don't get in the USA to see if the grass is greener on the eastern side of the globe.Nissan made two of its best-selling models available. The first was the Sakura, which is a mass-market electric kei car that sells for the equivalent of $13,000. I loved it very much, but it's too small and too pink to make any sort of impact on the local market. But the Nissan Serena e-Power is a different story. It's Nissan's ultimate family car, and we can't figure out why. If you want a Nissan with seating for more than five people, your only option is the all-new Armada, and its third row is a bit cramped, as we found out in our week-long road test. It's also within spitting distance of $60,000 once you add a few options. The family car we're talking about here starts at roughly $23,000 (converted from yen), and offers comfortable seating for up to six people. A Big Box With A Murano Face 2023-2025 Nissan Serena Red Front Angled ViewThe Nissan Serena is a box, much like every other MPV before it. It's functional rather than stunning, but we do like the Murano-like front. There's only so much you can do with a vehicle designed to carry as many people as possible, and Nissan threw every trick in the book at it. The stacked LED daytime running lights at the front are cool, and the black body panels at the front and rear give it that appealing floating roof feel.The nicest thing about the design is the accessible colors, which is something we noticed with the Sakura, too. The Serena is available in a range of cool colors that contrast beautifully with the black panels. It's not the kind of car you're going to give one last look before you enter the house, but it is a lot more interesting than a 2020 Dodge Grand Caravan. The Main Aim Was Space 2023-2025 Nissan Serena Black/Beige Interior Side View 3 RowsThe Serena is not as big as the minivans we're used to in the USA. It's based on the same platform as the Sentra, so think of it as fitting in somewhere between a small delivery van and a Chrysler Pacifica. But as we saw with the Sakura, the Japanese are masters of packaging. Nissan Japan says it can carry up to eight passengers if you use the middle seat in the second and third rows, but if you're American-sized, the best you can hope for is six. But those six seats are spacious, and you won't mind spending a few hours right at the back. Somebody Who Has A Family Designed This Car 2023-2025 Nissan Serena Beige Interior Seatback Tablet ChargerI've been a dad for more than a decade, so I know what works for kids. First, let's discuss the large windscreen and windows. A large greenhouse makes a big difference when you're traveling long distances with kids. A cabin that allows large amounts of natural light to filter in is a must-have, and I learned this the hard way by taking my family on a holiday in an Alfa Romeo Giulia. Natural light creates a feeling of space, even if it's just a psychological trick.Thankfully, it's not a trick in the Serena. As mentioned earlier, there is more than enough space, and the cabin has been blunderbussed with loads of cheap-to-make features that make life easier. Examples of these features include USB charging ports right above the seat storage, nifty little hooks where you can hang a bag, fold-down trays with amazing cupholders, and spill-proof seats. Not to mention the sliding doors, which open up wide if you wave your foot underneath the door.These things may seem silly in a world where a BMW 7 Series literally comes with a built-in cinema, but in my experience, kids are happy if they have somewhere to put their stuff, and a place they can plug their tablets into. You Can Also Use It For Business 2023-2025 Nissan Serena Trunk Wheelchair AccessCars in Japan are multipurpose tools. The best example of this is the Toyota Probox, which is used as a family wagon over weekends, or a taxi and delivery van during the weekdays. The Serena keeps this innovative spirit alive. You can fold the third row up to the sides for a cavernous trunk, or remove the second and third row entirely and turn it into a delivery van. The Serena's is so famously adaptable that it's the go-to car for people with a disabled person in the family. In fact, Nissan will sell you a model with a ramp and additional grab bars just for this purpose. A New Kind Of Hybrid 2023-2025 Nissan Serena Blue Front ViewThe Serena is available with a traditional ICE engine and a CVT (continuously variable transmission) auto. The latter has been one of the main complaints aimed at the Japanese automaker these last few years, but that issue is non-existent if you opt for the e-Power model. While the Serena may not come to the USA, this unique new engine will make its debut in the all-new Rogue in 2026. We experienced this new technology in Japan, and it works beautifully.Basically, the Serena e-Power is both ICE and EV. The rear wheels are connected to a standard AC synchronous motor with a single-speed planetary gearset. This electric motor sources power from a tiny 1.57-kWh lithium-ion battery. As you might know, you need at least 80 kWh in a battery-electric vehicle to get decent range, so does that mean the Serena will only get to the end of your driveway before becoming a brick? Nope.Underneath the hood is a 1.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder gas engine, and it's not connected to the wheels. Its only goal in life is to power a generator, which constantly feeds the battery pack, just like any other range-extender EV like the BMW i3 Range Extender. Why such a setup? The ICE component is kept within its most thermally efficient range, and you get the benefit of instant torque electric vehicles are known for. You also never have to recharge the battery, and you refuel the same way as before.The result is a claimed fuel consumption figure of 35.8 mpg on the combined cycle. To put that in perspective, the traditional ICE-powered Serena with its CVT gearbox claims 26.9 mpg on the combined cycle. If It's So Good, Why Can't We Have It? 2023-2025 Nissan Serena x2 Brown Front and White RearThere are two main reasons why it won't be sold in the USA. First, the latest Serena is only available in right-hand drive, and it would cost Nissan a fortune to adapt the car to left-hand drive. This is not financially viable because nobody would be interested in a Serena in the first place. SUVs and crossovers have all but killed the sedan and minivan segments, but at a cost. And that cost is the cost. The Serena costs roughly the same as the cheapest SUVs on sale in the USA, but they only have space for four. Our list of the most affordable three-row SUVs shows that the cheapest you can hope for is just north of $30k.The good news is that the USA will finally get access to e-Power in the coming years. It will debut in the all-new Rogue, and Nissan said we can expect it to filter down to other models, too.Still, we can't help but wonder whether the Serena wouldn't fit in here perfectly. The market is completely devoid of $20k cars, and pretty soon it will be tough to find a new non-rental-spec car for less than $25k. There's nothing out there that offers this much space and technology at such a small price, so we can't help but be jealous of Japan for getting the best family car Nissan currently produces.
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