Nissan Serena back in town with more features
Nissan Serena back in town with more features
Novan Iman Santosa
Jakarta
Automobile enthusiasts surely remember a smart multipurpose van
(MPV) during the late 1990s that looked like it was one step
ahead of everything else on the market, without much competition
to face.
The Nissan Serena was first introduced in 1996, although it
was only around for two years.
Last Thursday, PT Nissan Motor Indonesia launched its new
Serena, powered by the Neo QR20DE -- an inline, 2,000 cc, four-
cylinder engine utilizing double overhead camshaft technology.
Its performance is already proven, as Nissan also uses the
same engine to power its popular X-Trail sports utility vehicle
(SUV), which is able to unleash a maximum 147 horsepower at 6,000
revolutions per minute and a maximum torque of 198 Newton meters.
The new Serena looks more like an MPV, with a longer hood than
its predecessor, which was more like a van.
With a sales target of 300 units per month, the new Serena
goes for Rp 230 million (US$25,500) for the standard version, and
Rp 275 million for the Highway Star model, which has added
features.
Fog lights, side mirrors with turn signals, electric sliding
door and roof spoiler are available only for the upper-end
Highway Star -- the standard model comes with a manual sliding
door.
A medium-upper range MPV, the Serena is equipped with active
safety features: an anti-lock braking system, electronic brake-
force distribution and brake assist.
The Serena is designed with a reinforced body and specially
designed inner roof to protect passengers' heads -- features that
may offer peace of mind in the event of an unavoidable collision.
Every seat has a safety belt, while both the front and rear-
seat cabins are equipped with dual supplemental restraint system
air bags to protect all occupants.
For additional safety, the halogen headlights are fitted with
complex surface reflectors, which provide a larger area of
coverage and greater luminosity.
The standard Serena is also equipped with an under-carriage
mirror to the rear, while the Highway Star model has a rear
camera for easier and safer parking in tight spaces.
Both models have a spacious cabin with a seating capacity of
seven, although a maximum of six passengers would be more
comfortable, especially in the Highway Star.
The seats can be rearranged easily into 10 configurations,
depending on necessity, as the mid-row seats are individually
fitted, flanking a narrow aisle to the rear seats. The mid-row
seats can also be turned to face the rear for more intimate
conversation.
The Serena comes in four colors: aqua blue, solid black,
diamond silver and champagne silver. For an additional Rp 2
million, the Highway Star buyer can opt for a two-tone color
scheme of champagne silver for the upper body and sparkling
silver for the lower body.
Its competitors are the Honda Stream, priced at between Rp 196
million and Rp 241 million, the Chevrolet Zafira from Rp 184
million to Rp 230 million, and the Ford Everest from Rp 218
million to Rp 332 million.
In the higher price range, the KIA Sedona, on offer from Rp
242 million to Rp 262 million, and the Toyota Previa for Rp 444
million to Rp 460 million will vie with the Nissan Serena for a
stretch of the road.