2022 Nissan Serena S-Hybrid Premium Freeway Star – Malaysian assessment of the facelifted 7-seat MPV, RM163k

The facelifted C27 Nissan Serena S-Hybrid has taken a while to reach on the Malaysian market, touchdown on our shores roughly three years after it made its global debut in August 2019.

Together with its refreshed exterior, the facelifted Serena brings the welcome addition of driver help techniques together with autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross visitors alert, in addition to driver consideration warning on each Freeway Star and Premium Freeway Star variations supplied on sale in Malaysia; it’s the latter, higher-spec variant we’re sampling right here.

The place the wardrobe change for the C27 Serena is anxious, visible adjustments are moderately sparing, although the entrance fascia that now beneficial properties a full-height ‘V-motion’ grille definitely provides to the seven-seater’s street presence, notably when seen by means of a previous car’s rear-view mirror. What else has modified? Let’s discover out.

Small adjustments, improved package

Additional alongside the MPV, cues right here that distinguish the Premium Freeway Star from the Freeway Star are wheels which might be one inch bigger in diameter at 16 inches, a Radiant Purple exterior color and a two-tone exterior paint end that brings a contrasting black roof and pillars – not less than when paired with any color alternative aside from the Diamond Black choice of our take a look at car right here.

Extra familiarity involves greet the occupants of the C27 Serena facelift, notably for individuals who are acquainted with the pre-update mannequin. Up within the entrance row, the dashboard structure has basically been carried over, although the facelift’s infotainment unit now sports activities a really welcome bigger display screen.

It now measures 9 inches, up from the earlier 6.75-inch unit that to those eyes, additionally seemed awkward with its bezel-within-a-bezel type. This present unit makes higher use of the house, and appears higher besides. Second- and third-row passengers additionally profit from a bigger roof-mounted video monitor, which now measures 11.6 inches.

Upholstery for this Premium Freeway Star model is quilted Nappa leather-based, right here in brown on the take a look at car. The quilted Nappa leather-based upholstery is a primary for the Serena, definitely including a contact of upmarket class to the atmosphere of Nissan’s seven-seater MPV.

The second-row seats themselves really feel largely unchanged from their predecessors when it comes to cushioning and help, which isn’t any dangerous factor as these had been already very welcoming, and people had been themselves a sure enchancment over the perches within the earlier, C26-generation mannequin.

Shifting on rearwards, the third row of seats are additionally fairly accommodating given the relative confines of house through which they’re situated. Briefly sampled, our passenger experiences that consolation within the outer seats are affordable, although unsurprisingly flatter of cushion in comparison with the captain chairs simply forward. The center seat ought to strictly be for very quick journeys, as adults will wrestle to not foul the seat belt buckles when all three are in use.

The theme continues for front-row occupants – extra of the identical, which is an efficient factor. Storage compartments are aplenty for the driving force and passenger of the C27 Serena, persevering with right here within the facelift because the case has been within the earlier iteration, the place the traditional drop-down glove field is complemented by a pair of top-loaders – helpful on your most-often used gadgets as you enter and exit the car.

Make no mistake concerning the beautiful tri-spoke multi-function steering wheel, for that’s about as sporty because the C27 Serena will get. As with the pre-facelift, the cabin setting is all about ease of use, entry and egress, and so the driving force’s seating place is of the standard MPV selection, which is to say it’s upright, of a excessive hip level and never an excessive amount of bolstering as to hinder entry and exit.

Sight traces from the driving force’s seat are as earlier than, from a commanding top and imposing little in the best way of blind spots. Its exterior mirrors are nicely situated, and when mixed with a moderately low-geared (sluggish) steering and a compact turning circle, makes for an easy car to place in a parking zone.

All about consolation

This in fact, means that there’s little sportiness to be discovered from exerting extra upon the car at larger speeds. The sunshine, straightforward helm at parking speeds presents little in steering really feel when plotting a line alongside highways, although gladly, the C27 Serena facelift additionally requires little steering correction at a cruise.

The mild-hybrid powertrain consists of an electrical motor, which contributes 2.6 PS and 48 Nm, and a MR20DD 2.0-litre direct injection, naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 150 PS at 6,000 rpm and 200 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. The output is par for the course for powerplants of its measurement and configuration.

Driving the entrance wheels by means of an Xtronic CVT, the response from the Serena facelift is extra obliging moderately than participating, and the electrical increase actually is to assist setting off from a standstill. Whereas it could possibly sound laboured when given near-full throttle for overtaking, in actuality the outputs on supply are ample, and due to this fact acceptable for its function.

When it comes to the newly-available driver help techniques for the C27-generation facelift, these deliver a further layer of reassurance. The worth of those techniques is definite, however for probably the most will go unnoticeable, as was the case throughout our stint with the MPV.

Lane departure warning is alert when the driving force lets the car get cosy with lane markings, although in case your parking desire is to reverse in, rear cross-traffic alert received’t actually see a lot motion, as rearward imaginative and prescient by means of the Serena’s glasshouse is excellent to start with.

Nonetheless, the place energetic security is anxious in a road-going car, particularly one with urban-use emphasis, higher to have and never want, than to want and never have.

Sticking to a tried and trusted recipe

Drawbacks? If we had been to nit-pick, maybe its steering at freeway speeds may very well be extra assured, though doing so would imply compromising on the Serena’s very amenable steering manners on the town, which leaves the helm largely unperturbed by pace bumps, odd cambers and all method of creatively repaired roads.

Given its ‘Premium’ positioning, this higher-spec variant of the Serena may maybe do with electrical driver’s seat adjustment, if solely to additional uplift the sense of upmarket atmosphere for this seven-seater MPV. On steadiness, there isn’t something incorrect with the precise vary of adjustment on supply, and the shortage of electrical adjustment is only a minor concession given the car’s excessive utility worth.

Carrying a price ticket of RM162,888 on-the-road with out insurance coverage, the facelifted, C27-generation Nissan Serena Premium Freeway Star manages to stay a really enticing proposition for patrons who frequently ferry a number of passengers, and the MPV’s prowess in city environment notably stay intact, now augmented by further energetic security gear.

GALLERY: 2022 Nissan Serena S-Hybrid Premium Freeway Star