When it comes to choosing a perfect car for the family, you want to make sure you are getting the most out of your money, and that means comfort and convenience in the form of features. For those car buyers who do not like sedans and feel cramped in 7-seater SUVs, the MPVs are a good option; which are practical for everyday use, versatile in handling passengers and cargo, and are offered at relatively affordable price tags. The two such popular MPVs available in Malaysia are the Toyota Innova and Nissan Serena. 

In the local market, Toyota offers the second generation, locally-assembled Innova since 2016 in three variants, which are now set to receive a mid-life facelift after over four years. The update has added a few new features to the equipment list, as well as some cosmetic enhancements to make it look fresh. The Japanese automaker has already revealed the 2021 Toyota Innova price and specifications, along with opening orders books for reservation.

Well, on the other side of the pool, we have the Nissan Serena, which is again a Japanese MPV. The latest iteration of the Serena arrived in Malaysia in 2018 and is sold as a mild hybrid CKD vehicle. Now in its fifth generation, the MPV is available in two trim levels.

Below is a direct comparison of the two C-segment MPVs in terms of design, dimensions, features, safety, and affordability that might help you in deciding whether you should wait for the 2021 Toyota Innova launch or buy the already available Nissan Serena.

Design and dimensions

First introduced in Indonesia in October last year, the Innova facelift design updates are mostly reserved for the front fascia, where we can see a more aggressive trapezoidal grille with five horizontal slats and wider chrome surroundings. Added to the styling updates are a more angular bumper, sharper-looking LED headlights, new fog lamps housings, and dark grey metallic diamond-cut 17-inch alloy wheels. At the rear, lies the same L-shaped taillights, however, a new black tailgate garnish rounded the updates.

Coming to the Nissan Serena design, it tends to please most of the buyers with Its biggest attractive element and that is the split LED headlight and turn indicator arrangement at the front. Other noteworthy features include Nissan’s signature new V-motion front grille with chrome garnish, sculpted front bumper, horizontally-placed LED fog lights, and diamond-cut 15-inch alloy wheels. Chrome garnishing on the tailgate and vertically-arranged tail lamp clusters illuminate the rear face of the MPV.

Size-wise, the Nissan Serena is longer and taller than the Toyota’s counterpart and also has a larger wheelbase, leading to better comfort inside the vehicle. However, the Innova is wider that also makes the seating comfortable. The boot space of the two models is volumetric enough to accommodate heavy luggage.

Specifications	2021 Toyota Innova	Nissan Serena S-Hybrid
Length	4,735 mm	4770 mm
Width	1,830 mm	1740 mm
Height	1,795 mm	1740 mm
Wheelbase	2,750 mm	2860 mm

Engine

The 2021 Innova continues to be powered by the same mechanical setup and that’s a 2.0-litre 1TR-FE naturally-aspirated engine, whereas the Serena gets the energy from an MR20DD four-cylinder unit mated to an S-Hybrid system.

Check out the detailed specs below.

Specifications	2021 Toyota Innova	Nissan Serena S-Hybrid
Engine	2.0-litre inline four cylinder	2.0-litre 4-cylinder
Maximum power	139 PS at 5,600 rpm	150 PS at 6000 rpm
Maximum torque	183 Nm at 4,000 rpm	200 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm
Transmission	6-speed AT	XTRONIC CVT
Fuel economy	11 kmpl	14.2 kmpl

In the above table, we can see Serena’s powertrain churns out higher power and torque with the same engine capacity, and also consumes less fuel in comparison to the Innova. The credit goes to the S-Hybrid System that offers features like ECO Motor with electric power regenerator and secondary battery, as well as idling start/stop system.

Features

Specifications	2021 Toyota Innova	Nissan Serena S-Hybrid
Infotainment system	9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto	6.75-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Rear display	NA	10.1-inch roof-mounted LCD (in top variant)
Instrument panel	4.2-inch	7-Inch
Wireless charging pad	Yes	No
Air-conditioning system	Single-zone with rear vents	Dual-zone with rear vents
Ambient lighting	Yes	No
Keyless entry and push start button	Yes	Yes
Seat adjustability	8-way power-adjustable driver seat	Manually adjustable Zero Gravity inspired seats
Sliding doors	No	Hands-free power-operated
Tailgate	Soft-closing function	Dual-opening operation

Both MPVs are loaded with chock-full of hi-tech and comfort features; Toyota’s model equips a bigger touchscreen and a few advanced bits, whereas the Serena has a display screen in the second row as well as sliding doors, making a world of difference especially for parents with toddlers.

Safety

In terms of safety, the Toyota Innova specs sheet includes seven airbags, vehicle stability control with traction control, ABS with EBD and BA, hill-start assist control, and a 3D Panoramic View Monitor. In top-spec trims, a blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert will also be available now. 

Nissan has also kitted the Serena with most of the vital safety bits that one expects in a modern people-hauler. These include six airbags, vehicle dynamic control, traction control system, hill start assist, ABS with EBD and brake assist, around-view monitor, moving object detection, front-facing digital video recorder, and intelligent driver alert assists.

Price (on-the-road excluding insurance and including SST exemption)

2021 Toyota Innova Price		Nissan Serena S-Hybrid Price
Toyota Innova 2.0E	RM 111,622	Nissan Serena Highway Star	RM 142,099
Toyota Innova 2.0G	RM 121,483	Nissan Serena Premium Highway Star	RM 152,099
Toyota Innova 2.0X	RM 129,677

The price-comparison reveals that the Nissan Serena comes at a premium over the Toyota Innova price. In our view, both models are equally good; the matter of difference in features is justified by the asking prices. 

Also read: 2021 Toyota new cars: What to expect?