The Nissan Serena is a Japanese minivan vehicle manufactured by Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. since 1991. The 5th generation of the model has been produced since 2016. The name of the car comes from the Latin word “serēnus”, meaning “clean / calm”. Initially, the car was made for the Japanese market, and since 1992 – for the international in left-hand drive design at a factory in Spain. Cars were also produced in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and several other countries.
The first generation of the Nissan Serena minivan was produced in Japan from 1991 to 1999, and in 1992, the left-hand drive version of the car (including the van body under the names Nissan Vanette E and Quest Cargo) began to be assembled in Spain. In the cabin, the car could have five or eight seats. The range of engines consisted of 1.6 and 2-liter gasoline units with a capacity of 100 and 130 hp, respectively, as well as 2-liter naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines (76, 91 and 97 hp). In 1995, a 2.3 turbodiesel was installed on the European Serena, which developed 135 hp. The car had modifications with rear and all-wheel drive, gearboxes – a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.
The second generation of the model debuted in the Japanese market in 1999; in Europe, the Nissan Serena was no longer produced or sold. The basic version became front-wheel drive, an all-wheel drive transmission was offered for a surcharge. The minivan, which existed in seven- and eight-seater versions, was equipped with 2.0 (147 hp) and 2.5 (160 hp) gasoline engines, as well as 2.0 (145 hp) and 2.5 (150 hp) diesel engines, which were aggregated with a four-speed automatic transmission or a variator. The assembly of the version of this model was also organized in China, Malaysia and Taiwan.
The eight-seat third-generation minivan lasted on the assembly line from 2005 to 2010, having survived a light restyling in 2008. As before, the Nissan Serena had modifications with front- or all-wheel drive. There was only one power unit – a two-liter gasoline engine with a capacity of 137 hp paired with a continuously variable variator. A copy of the Serena was also sold in the Japanese market under the name Suzuki Landy.
The fourth generation Nissan Serena minivan was produced from 2010 to 2016. The car was equipped with a two-liter gasoline engine with direct injection, developing 144 or 147 hp (on front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions, respectively). All versions were equipped with a stepless variator. In Japan, a copy of the model was produced under the name Suzuki Landy.
The fifth generation of the Nissan Serena minivan has been produced in Japan since 2016. The car is sold in the local market, as well as in some Asian countries with left-hand traffic.
The machine was created as a result of a deep modernization of the previous model. The former dimensions and the general layout of the cabin have been preserved, but the design of the car is new – with “two-story” lighting equipment and a massive radiator grille. The interior has a new front panel with a modern design, a large screen of the multimedia system and another color screen of the instrument panel. The Nissan Serena still has three rows of seats, and the side sliding doors are powered and have a contactless opening function from the outside.
The minivan is equipped only with a hybrid power plant. Under the hood of the car is a 147 hp two-liter gasoline engine, a CVT and a small electric motor that develops 2.4 hp.
Nissan Serena became the brand’s first mass-produced car equipped with an autopilot. The system, branded as ProPilot, operates on highways at speeds between 30 and 100 km/h. After turning on the autopilot, the car independently keeps its lane, focusing on the marking lines, maintains the speed, controls the distance to the car in front, and, if necessary, is able to slow down to a complete stop. In the future, it is planned to give the autopilot new “abilities”.
The 2.0-litre Nissan CD20T turbodiesel engine was built from 1991 to 2002 in Japan and fitted to the company’s very popular models such as the Primera, Serena and Avenir. There is also a CD20ET version of this unit with an electronic high pressure fuel pump and a CD20ETi with an intercooler.
The 2.0-liter Nissan CD20 diesel engine was produced by the company from 1990 to 2000 and was installed on such well-known models of the concern as Almera, Primera, Pulsar and Avenir. A modification of this unit with an electronic high-pressure fuel pump was installed on Bluebird under the index CD20E.
The 2.0-liter Nissan SR20DE engine (or SR20 for short) was produced at the company’s factories from 1989 to 2002 and was installed on many popular concern models, such as Almera, Primera or Silvia. The same power unit, but in the version with single injection, was assembled under a different index SR20Di.
The 2.5-liter Nissan QR25DE engine (or QR25 for short) has been assembled at factories in Japan and the USA since 2000 and is installed on such popular concern models as the Altima, Caravan, Frontier and X-Trail. The engine was seriously upgraded in 2007, so some distinguish its two generations.
The 2.0-liter Nissan QR20DE engine (or QR20 for short) was assembled at a Japanese plant from 2000 to 2012 and installed in a number of mid-size models of the concern, such as Primera, Serena or X-trail.
The 2.0-liter Nissan MR20DD engine has been assembled since 2010 at the company’s Japanese plant and is installed on the Serena minibus, as well as the Qashqai and X-trail mid-size crossovers. This gasoline unit is very often used as part of a hybrid power plant. In 2016, it entered Renault’s lineup in the Koleos II …
The 2.0-liter Nissan MR20DE engine (or MR20 for short) was produced at the Yokohama plant from 2005 to 2020. At first, it was installed on Nissan Lafesta and Nissan Serena minivans, as well as on the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy sedan (in Russia, Nissan Almera, produced by AvtoVAZ). Since 2006, it has been installed on the …
In 1988, the KA24 gasoline power units replaced the Z24 series. It is already problematic to buy the very first modifications of the KA24E internal combustion engine in our time, since their production was discontinued in 1991 due to modernization. Better known now is the 2.4-liter Nissan KA24DE engine, which was produced from 1993 to …
The 1.2-liter 3-cylinder Nissan HR12DE engine (or HR12 for short) has been produced by the concern since 2010 and is installed on such popular company models as the Micra, Serena, Note and Datsun Go +. This engine is also used as part of the e‑Power sequential hybrid powertrain.
