Nissan's Serena opens up a new local market segment
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.