Nissan's Serena opens up a new local market segment
By Russell Williamson and Tim Britten
Nissan's new Serena burst onto the car market last month with the company taking about 300 orders in the first week.
For a vehicle which opens up a whole new market segment in Indonesia - the upmarket people mover - this was a promising start.
According to Indomobil's managing director, marketing and business development, Angky Camaro, the new Serena fills a gap in the market for a luxurious, well appointed, vehicle with seating for seven people.
Angky said this was the first of two similar vehicles that would come out of the Indomobil stable - the other being the VW Caravelle due next year - which would add about 120 units per month to Nissan's sales tally.
The Serena is available in just one trim level with a four- speed automatic transmission priced at Rp 97,500,000 on the road.
Unlike other people movers, the Serena was developed from the ground up as a people mover and is not based on a commercial vehicle platform.
As such it meets passenger car safety requirements while offering sedan-like performance and handling.
The safety aspect is helped by sitting the driver and front passenger behind the front axle center line. Another benefit of this is the easier access to the front seats because the wheel arch does not intrude into the door opening.
Although the upright body seems to have been styled more on practicality than esthetics, the Serena has a cheeky distinctive look that separates it from the mundane.
The sharply raked nose helps reduce drag while the narrow width and short body length give the vehicle a turning circle curb to curb of just 5.2m.
Under the skin, the Serena has a thoughtfully designed all- independent suspension system with MacPherson struts on the front and a multi-link setup on the rear.
The engine is a 2000cc four-cylinder DOHC unit that offers plenty of low down torque with 90 percent of the maximum 195Nm available from about 2000rpm.
The engine location between the front seats provides a balanced weight distribution, which, together with the suspension setup, clearly gives the vehicle the dynamic qualities of a sedan.
This impression is further reinforced by the steering wheel angle which is aligned closer to vertical than other forward control vans, and the neat instrument panel with its well placed gearshift.
Because the engine is between the front seats, the front compartment is divided into distinct right and left sections which are surrounded by a central console and a number of oddments bins.
The seating arrangement is extremely versatile with any number of combinations possible depending on the number of people or luggage the vehicle is required to carry.
Noise levels inside the cabin are also sedan-like in quality while the ride is smooth and absorbent. All the work which has gone into developing the rear suspension pays off with surefooted, secure handling on all types of road surfaces.
The Serena is very well equipped with climate control air conditioning - with separate remote controlled fans for the rear passengers, power windows and mirrors and central locking.
As the first vehicle of its kind to make its way on to the Indonesian market, the Serena certainly stacks up as what could be the benchmark for this type of vehicle and will be a hard act for any manufacturer to follow.