Nissan Serena: C27 or C28, S-HYBRID or e-POWER and why eight seats
The Serena is the next size family minivan after the Freed and Sienta, which in the regular versions still fits into a width of 1,695 mm: almost 4.7 m long, eight seats and sliding doors on both sides. Nissan has been producing it since June 1991, and now there are two current generations on the market at the same time – the C27 2016-2022 and the C28 from the end of 2022. The word “hybrid” in the Serena ad means three completely different things: the S-HYBRID with a tiny electric motor assistant, the first-generation e-POWER with a 1.2-liter alternator, and the second-generation e-POWER with a 1.4-liter one. The way the car drives, the number of seats, and the presence of all-wheel drive depend on this, so it’s worth figuring it out before looking at the color and mileage.
What was before C27
The first Serena of 1991 was also called the Vanette Serena, the second C24 was released in 1999, the third C25 in 2005 CVT. From August 1, 2012, the C26 The S-HYBRID appeared: the same ECO engine was strengthened, a second battery under the hood was added, and Nissan called it a hybrid at 15.2 km/l according to the JC08. The S-HYBRID did not have all-wheel drive in the C26. The end of 2013 brought an update with automatic braking and surround view cameras. Today, the C26 is the most affordable Serena, which does not look old yet.
C27 (2016–2022): ProPILOT, S-HYBRID and the first e-POWER
The fifth generation has been on sale since August 24, 2016, and the main news then was ProPILOT – the first system in the minivan class, which keeps a distance, lane and speed from 30 to 100 km/h on the highway, stops behind the car in front and starts on command. In 2016, it was an option for individual versions and a special ProPILOT Edition series. Nissan called the interior the best in the class in terms of length and width – 3,240 and 1,545 mm; there is a sliding door that opens with a movement of the foot under the threshold, and a double-leaf rear door, which has a separate upper part – useful in a cramped courtyard. The belts of the second row are built into the seats, so a child in the seat can not be unfastened to let the third-row passenger out.
The equipment at the start is the same for all: MR20DD at 110 kW (150 hp) at 6,000 rpm and 200 Nm at 4,400, CVT, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. In most versions, the engine is assisted by the S-HYBRID – an SM24 electric motor with a 1.9 kW and 48 Nm with a lead battery, that is, in fact, a stop-start system with easy assistance on starting; consumption according to the JC08 for such a car is 17.2 km / l. Front-wheel drive base versions B and S went without and it can be seen in the body code: DBA-C27 – pure petrol, DAA-GC27 – S-HYBRID, the letter N is added for all-wheel drive (GNC27), the letter F – for the Highway Star with an extended body kit (GFC27, GFNC27). The Highway Star is worth highlighting separately: due to the bumpers and linings, the body has grown to 4,770 × 1,740 mm and moved to the “third number”, although the interior and the base of 2,860 mm are the same. The ground clearance for front-wheel drive cars is 160 mm, for all-wheel drive cars – 140.
On March 1, 2018, the Serena e-POWER was added to the lineup. This is a sequential hybrid: the 1.2-liter HR12DE with 62 kW (84 hp) is powered only by a generator, and the car is driven by an EM57 electric motor with 100 kW (136 hp) and 320 Nm – the same type as the Note, where the e-POWER appeared in 2016, but with a higher efficiency. Nissan claimed 26.2 km/l on the JC08, e-POWER Drive mode with braking when the pedal is released, a “quiet” mode for returning at night and a forced battery charging mode. An important detail for the family: the e-POWER C27 was produced only as a seven-seater, with captain’s chairs in the second row, and only with front-wheel drive. The codes for such cars are HC27 and HFC27.
An update on August 1, 2019 changed the front end, made a “circular” safety system standard for all versions – auto braking, sign recognition, lane and blind spot tracking, rear car warning when reversing, protection against entangled pedals – and added Nissan’s first adaptive LED headlights. ProPILOT has learned to keep speed on downhill and brake more smoothly. After the update, the code prefixes changed to 5AA-GFC27 for the S-HYBRID and 6AA-HFC27 for the e-POWER; on the WLTC cycle, the Highway Star V shows 13.2 km/l with the S-HYBRID and 17.2 with the e-POWER.
C28 (from 2022): second e-POWER, eight seats and ProPILOT for everyone
Nissan showed the sixth generation on November 28, 2022; petrol versions went on sale in winter, e-POWER – from April 20, 2023. The body retained the format: 4,690 × 1,695 × 1,870 mm for the regular versions and 4,765 × 1,715 for the Highway Star and LUXION, the base has grown to 2,870 mm, the turning radius is 5.7 m, the clearance is 135 mm. Petrol the car remained with the MR20DD for 150 hp and 200 Nm, CVT and the choice between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. But the e-POWER was the second generation: the generator is powered by a new three-cylinder HR14DDe with a volume of 1,433 liters at 72 kW (98 hp) at 5,600 rpm, the EM57 electric motor is strengthened to 120 kW (163 hp) and 315 Nm, the battery is lithium-ion. Nissan separately emphasized the silence – the engine starts less often, and the system is able to plan a charge along the route of the navigator in order to drive up to the house on electric traction. According to WLTC, the petrol Serena shows 13.0-13.4 km/l with front-wheel drive and 11.6 with full-wheel drive, the e-POWER – from 18.4 for the heavy LUXION to 20.6 for the base X.
For the family, the C28 has two fundamental changes. First, the e-POWER is now also an eight-seater – the center seat of the second row is back, and only the flagship e-POWER LUXION remains seven-seater. Secondly, ProPILOT has become the standard for all versions, and LUXION has received ProPILOT 2.0 with hands-free movement on the highway – Nissan called it the first case in its class. In some descriptions, ProPILOT 2.0 is attributed to all C28s, but according to Nissan, it is only LUXION. The aisle between the front seats has become wider by 120 mm, longitudinal adjustment has appeared in the third row, the tyres in all versions are 205 / 65R16. The e-POWER also has the option of a 100 V and 1,500 W outlet. Codes: 5BA-C28 and 5BA-FC28 – front-wheel drive petrol, 5BA-NC28 and 5BA-FNC28 – full petrol, 6AA-GC28 and 6AA-GFC28 – e-POWER; the letter F still stands for Highway Star wide bodywork.
Then the line expanded. In November 2024, the e-POWER got an e-4ORCE all-wheel drive with a rear electric motor – all such versions are seven-seater, and a third index is added to the code: HR14DDe-EM57-MM48. The update, announced on December 18, 2025 and on sale in February 2026, changed the appearance of the LUXION and Highway Star V, added NissanConnect multimedia with built-in Google services, three-dimensional surround view cameras, e-Pedal Step mode memory and a reminder of passengers in the rear seats after turning off the engine. In terms of technology, the updated car does not differ from the previous C28.
Which of the three “hybrid” Serenas is needed
The S-HYBRID is a 150 hp Serena petrol with a smarter stop-start; you should not expect electric silence or hybrid consumption from it, but it can be all-wheel drive and eight-seater. The e-POWER C27 always rides on an electric motor, starts quietly and allows you to ride with one pedal, but it is only front-wheel drive and only has seven seats. The e-POWER C28 has retained all this, has become noticeably more powerful and quieter, received eight seats and, from the end of 2024, all-wheel drive.
In the reviews of owners, the C28 is most often noted for its low ground clearance, sensitivity to crosswinds on the highway and noise from the wheel arches, and praises the transformation of the interior, the double-leaf tailgate and the consumption of e-POWER in the city; in the C27, the main disadvantage is the same low clearance. If the car lives in a cramped yard, the regular version with a width of 1,695 mm goes where the Highway Star with its 1,715-1,740 mm no longer fits – this is also worth trying on in advance.
What to check for a specific Serena
The body code here is more informative than any configuration name: the prefix DBA-, DAA-, 5AA-, 6AA- or 5BA- shows the period and type of installation, and the letters before the numbers indicate the version: for the C27, G stands for S-HYBRID, H – e-POWER, for the C28 the letter G already stands for e-POWER; N in both generations is all-wheel drive, F is a wide Highway Star body. How to find the code and read it is shown in a separate article; on the example of another Nissan model, you can also see why the same generation name in different markets does not mean the same car – this is what the article about generations and markets is about. Then the number of seats according to the documents: seven for the e-POWER C27, LUXION and e-4ORCE, eight for the rest. In the C27, the presence of ProPILOT should be checked separately – it was installed according to versions and as an option – as well as on which side the electric sliding doors are located and whether there is a foot opening function. The C28 ProPILOT always has it, but ProPILOT 2.0, a 100V outlet, surround view cameras and heating depend on the version and packages.
It is convenient to check the versions on the pages of the catalog for the years of manufacture – 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2025; a summary table of characteristics is available on the Serena characteristics page. The order in which GTYRES looks at the selected lot before bidding is described in the article on checking the car before bidding.
