The Nissan Serena S-Hybrid facelift, which we spotted in Malaysia in August, is now open for booking by Edaran Tan Chong Motor, as advertised on the Nissan Malaysia official website. The facelifted Serena S-Hybrid made its world debut at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.
UPDATE: The CKD Serena S-Hybrid facelift is now launched, view our launch report.
ETCM launched the pre-facelift Serena S-Hybrid here in July 2013, brought in as a CBU import from Japan under the now expired CBU hybrid tax incentives. Now that hybrid incentives are reserved for locally-assembled models, the Serena S-Hybrid facelift will roll out from Tan Chong’s Serendah plant.
No change in drivetrain, so the FL carries over the MR20DD 2.0 litre
engine with 147 PS at 5,600 rpm and 210 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. The
direct injection twin-CVTC unit is paired to Nissan’s Xtronic CVT
gearbox with Adaptive Shift Control.
An Idling Stop System shuts down the engine when idle, and restarts
in 0.3 seconds after the brake is released. The official 15.2 km/l fuel
consumption in Japan’s JC08 test cycle remains.
There are changes to the kit list, though. From what we can see for
now, the MPV (in Highway Star trim, as before) will come with LED
headlamps with LED signature lamps. The latter isn’t full blown DRLs,
but positioning lamps. The LED headlamps are a highly visible upgrade
from the current reflector halogens. At the back, the LED tail lamps have a new pattern.
New face aside, the 16-inch rim design
you see here is fresh. Speaking of wheels, the CKD facelift gets a
space saver spare tyre, which is more reassuring compared to the the
CBU’s repair kit.
Other kit highlights include twin powered sliding doors, i-key keyless entry and push start, cruise control and leather wrapped steering. All are present in the pre-facelift. The rear AC has been changed from an digital unit with LCD screen to a simpler lever switch type.
However, now there’s a Premium Highway Star trim level that adds on a
10.1-inch roof-mounted LCD screen, 6.5-inch “multimedia navigator” with
rear view camera/DVD player/Bluetooth, roof spoiler, V-Kool Elite
window tint, combination leather seats and door visors to the standard
car.
Safety wise, it’s status quo with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, Hill Start Assist, Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) and two airbags. Isofix child seat anchors are available on the second row chairs,
which are “captain seats” that can be moved inwards (stuck together)
for better third row access. The Serena is advertised as an
eight-seater, and there are eight three-point seatbelts.
Estimated prices are “below RM140k” for the Highway Star and “below
RM150k” for the Premium Highway Star – both with a three-year free
maintenance package to boot. To compare, the CBU pre-facelift car was
priced at RM149,500 (on-the-road with insurance) without the LED
headlamps or free services, so there’s savings to be had.
