Nissan launches the fourth-generation Elgrand minivan. Zero-Gravity recliners and an ottoman anchor a plush cabin. New E-Power hybrid setup replaces the old 4-cylinder and V6. In Japan, the Elgrand was one of Nissan’s most popular models for years after its 1997 debut. It effectively created the country’s premium minivan class, but sales cratered over the past few years as the design grew stale. Now, an all-new Elgrand is finally here, and Nissan wants it to be a genuine answer to the Toyota Alphard. American buyers won’t get a look at it, of course, since Nissan abandoned the minivan here years ago when the Quest died in 2017, leaving the segment to the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. Read: Nissan Thinks You’re Not Mature Enough To Appreciate What It Just Launched In Japan The new luxury minivan broke cover late last year but only reached Japanese showrooms now, 16 years after its predecessor landed. The styling is a clean break from anything Nissan sells, and underneath sits the company’s third-generation e-Power hybrid setup paired with the e-4orce electric all-wheel-drive system. Concept-Car Looks Visually, the new model draws on the 2023 Hyper Tourer Concept and Nissan’s Timeless Japanese Futurism styling language. The clear standout is the radical front grille and daytime running lights, which make the Elgrand look more like a concept than something bound for showrooms. At the Elgrand’s launch in Yokohama earlier this week, Nissan’s corporate executive for Japanese marketing and sales, Akira Sugimoto, said, “Since the launch of the first-generation model, the Elgrand has consistently provided new mobility value to customers in Japan. We see the new Elgrand as a key model that will drive Nissan’s future growth.” The company desperately needs it to land. Back From The Brink According to a report from Nikkei Asia, Nissan sold just 1,163 examples of the outgoing Elgrand in Japan during fiscal year 2025. Toyota, by comparison, moved 81,357 Alphards over the same stretch. Nissan hasn’t said how many new Elgrands it hopes to shift, but it reports more than 6,000 orders since the end of May. Over 5,000 of those came from retail customers, with the rest including corporate buyers. The Elgrand certainly has plenty going for it. That e-Power setup pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor, though the engine works solely as a generator while the motor drives the wheels. Final output hasn’t been confirmed, but Nissan says the system is good for more than 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. Whether that’s enough to sway buyers out of an Alphard remains to be seen. A trick suspension system adds to the minivan’s appeal and should ensure it’s popular among chauffeur drivers. Nissan calls it the Intelligent Dynamic Suspension system, noting it continually monitors the road ahead and actively adjusts damping response. The e-4orce all-wheel-drive system also helps reduce body movement and optimizes vehicle dynamics according to driving conditions. The Back Seat Is The Best Seat The interior gives passengers plenty to enjoy. A 22-speaker Bose system handles the audio, and the second row gets captain’s chairs. In top trim level, those Zero Gravity seats come with ottomans and dual-recline backrests, so riders can prop up the upper section while watching the rear displays. Nissan has stretched the cabin, enlarged the sliding-door windows, and stepped the seating up progressively across all three rows for better visibility. Up front, dual 14.3-inch screens sit in a wood-grain panel, and 64-color ambient lighting runs the length of the doors. Buyers who need the extra seat can swap in a second-row bench. The practical details hold up too, with easier-access side steps, a half-open sliding-door function, and a reworked cargo area that swallows seven carry-on suitcases with all seven seats in use. The new Elgrand opens at 6.87 million yen, roughly $42,300 at today’s exchange rate, in Japan. Nissan plans to sell it in other markets too, though pricing beyond its home market hasn’t been released yet.
+43 others
