EDARAN TAN CHONG MOTOR (ETCM) LAUNCHES NEW 2022 NISSAN SERENA S-HYBRID WITH 360° SAFETY SHIELD

•    Facelifted Serena S-HYBRID priced from RM149,888  inclusive Sales Tax

•    Two variants available – Highway Star and Premium Highway Star with 360° Safety Shield for enhanced motoring safety

•    Proven S-HYBRID tech for improved fuel economy in city driving

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6, 2022 – Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM), distributor and importer of Nissan vehicles for over 60 years, is pleased to announce the launch of the new Nissan Serena S-HYBRID with enhanced styling and safety features.

“Edaran Tan Chong Motor introduced the first Family MPV in 1997 and since then, 4 generations of the Serena have served and met the needs of multiple generations of Malaysian families, providing wonderful moments together.  More than 45,000 units have been sold nationwide to date, and in 2021, it was the best-selling Non-National Mid-size MPV in the country,” said Daniel Ho, Group Chief Executive Officer, Tan Chong Motor Holdings.

Asako Hoshino, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. said, “Malaysia has been an important part of Nissan’s journey in ASEAN since 1957.  Nissan will continue to strive to meet our customers’ expectations by focusing on technological innovation and electrification, which will benefit both customers and society.  The introduction of the new 2022 Nissan Serena S-HYBRID today demonstrates our commitment to Malaysia.”

“When we launched the Nissan Serena S-HYBRID, it was among the first hybrid models to be assembled in Malaysia and it is still the only locally-assembled hybrid MPV. This new generation of Serena has a very extensive list of features that give it a premium image – without the premium price.  Now, to make it even better value for money, it comes with added safety features and fresh styling in line with the latest Nissan design language,” Mr. Daniel said.

Mr. Daniel said that although there is the ongoing global shortage of microprocessors and also logistics issues affecting production, Tan Chong Motor Assemblies (a subsidiary of the Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad) has done its best to minimize waiting periods for all the Nissan models it assembles at the factory in Serendah, Selangor.

 “Thanks to the cooperation of our customers who have booked the new Serena S-HYBRID early, we are able to plan better and schedule production more accurately to minimize waiting time. Since we open for bookings, we have received more than 2,000 orders,” he said, adding that those who have booked a vehicle before June 30, 2022, will be able to enjoy the sales tax exemption.

For the ‘early bird’ customers who made bookings, ETCM will show its appreciation with 5 times alternate free Maintenance Services (inclusive of Parts & Labour) and the warranty period will also be up to 5 years with unlimited mileage (terms and conditions apply).

Depending on the variants, there are up to 4 colour choices and for the Serena Premium Highway Star, there is a 2-tone exterior colour scheme with the roof finished in black.  The body colour choices for this variant are Dark Metal Grey, Brilliant White, Radiant Red and Diamond Black.

For the Serena Highway Star, three exterior body colours are available for customers to choose from: Brilliant White, Tungsten Silver and Diamond Black.

Confidence and Premium-ness

While retaining the elegant presence of its design, the new Serena S-HYBRID has been given cosmetic changes which embody confidence and enhance the aura of premium–ness.  These include Redesigned Dual Projector LED Headlamps, and a New V-motion Front Grille with a majestic and sophisticated chrome pattern.  There is also a Redesigned Front Bumper with integrated Fog Lamps and Daytime Running Lights at each corner, while the Rear Bumper has added Gloss Black Finishing for a classy touch. Newly designed rear LED tail lights also identify the latest Serena.

To add to the premium ambience within, soundproofing liners have been added to the rear wheel housing.  This supresses NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness) levels to deliver a quieter, more serene experience for all passengers.

All-round Safety and Protection

Safety has always been at the forefront of any Nissan vehicle sold to the public.  Nissan has developed a range of Nissan Intelligent Mobilitytechnologies that can help make motoring safer by assisting the driver.  These technologies make up the 360° Safety Shield to give complete all-round protection.

For the new Serena S-HYBRID, the 360° Safety Shield has enhanced Active Safety with an extensive range of systems that improve the driver’s awareness of the surroundings as well as take action to prevent a collision.  The 5 newsystems added are Intelligent Predictive Forward Collision Warning&Intelligent Forward Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

While most of the systems will provide alerts to the driver when there is another vehicle nearby and there is a risk of collision, the Intelligent Predictive Forward Collision Warning & Intelligent ForwardEmergency Braking systems go further.  The radar sensor located in the front of the vehicle detects the distances between the two cars ahead, as well as their relative speed.  This allows the system to assess the situation ahead of the Serena and determine whether there is a collision risk.

If the driver does not respond correctly when alerted (by braking or slowing down), the system will automatically apply the brakes (Automatic Emergency Braking).  In this way, a potential collision with a vehicle ahead could be avoided or if not, then the damage could be reduced due to the lowered impact speed.

Also helping the driver’s awareness of the surroundings is the Intelligent Around View Monitor with Intelligent Moving Object Detection.  The monitor shows a simulated image of an overhead view of the vehicle, allowing the driver to see what is on all sides.  The sensors can also detect moving objects and will alert the driver so that he or she will exercise caution.

On long journeys, fatigue can set in and make the driver drowsy.  While the Lane Departure Warning system will alert the driver if the vehicle starts to drift out of its lane dangerously, there is also an Intelligent Driver Alertness system that will watch the driving behaviour.  If it determines that the driver is behaving in a manner that suggests drowsiness, an alert will come on and the driver should take a break.

As with all Nissan models today, airbags are provided for reduction of potential injuries.  Because of the length of the cabin, the Serena has not only front and side airbags for the front occupants but also full-length curtain airbags along the sides.  These will deploy downwards upon a severe side impact, giving added protection to the occupants in the second and third rows.  By covering the window openings, the risk of an occupant being ejected during a violent accident can be reduced.

Hybrid tech for efficiency

Nissan S-HYBRID tech continues to power the MPV and the hybrid drivetrain incorporates an Energy Control (ECO) electric motor which controls the idle-stop system.  It alsoprovides torque assistance on moving off, the period when the engine is under high load.  The assistance reduces this load, thereby improving fuel efficiency.  The S-HYBRID system gives some of the benefits of a hybrid powertrain without the associated high costs.

The petrol engine is a 2.0-litre Twin CVTC (Continuously-variable Valve Timing Control) 4-cylinder unit which has proven its reliability and durability over the years.  It is equipped with a Dual Arm Tensioner which optimises tensile force on the belt to reduce friction, power losses and increases fuel efficiency.  An ECO MODE can also be activated to assist the driver to improve fuel efficiency without losing driving pleasure or comfort.

The hybrid drivetrain is paired with the Nissan XTRONIC CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) with Adaptive Shift Control to coordinate control between engine and transmission.  The intelligent control system interprets the driver intentions from the acceleration and steering and determines the optimum transmission ratios to deliver class-leading fuel efficiency.

Motorists understandably have concerns about the higher cost of petrol nowadays.  So it will be appreciated that the Serena S-HYBRID, classified as an Energy Efficient Vehicle, has a fuel consumption of 14.2 kms per litre.  This allows it to travel up to 852 kms on a fuel tank of fuel, reducing the need to visit the station frequently.

Thoughtful and Convenient

The new Serena S-HYBRID makes travelling in the MPV so much more convenient and enjoyable for the driver and passengers.  Popular and highly appreciated standard features such as the Dual Back Door and Hands-Free Dual Power Sliding Doors are retained.

The Dual Back Door concept is unique to the Serena and provides convenient and faster access to the ample cargo area.  For large and tall items, the whole of the rear door can be raised but if there are small items like groceries, it is unnecessary to lift the whole door.  The upper half can be opened separately and the items can be easily dropped inside. This is also extremely useful in tight spaces.

While powered dual sliding doors are found on many MPVs these days, the Hands-Free Dual Power Sliding Doors on both sides of the Serena are less common and usually available only on more expensive models.  With the hands-free capability, the doors can be opened by just placing a foot under the side of the vehicle (provided the remote key fob is in the pocket or handbag).  A sensor will detect the foot and automatically power the door open.

This hands-free feature will certainly be appreciated when carrying many bags, and the hands are full.  Rather than having to put them on the ground to press a button or pull the handle, using the foot can open either door.  The remote control can also be used to open the doors from a short distance away.  For safety, movement of the doors will be immediately stopped if there is any resistance as they close.

As almost everyone has at least one portable electronic device nowadays, recharging the battery is a daily requirement.  When in the Serena, there won’t be fighting over the recharging port as up to 7 USB ports are provided around the cabin.

Spacious 7-seater

The spacious interior of the new Serena S-HYBRID is one of its stronger selling points and its versatile seat configurations allows up to 7 persons on board.  Extra comfortable Captain Seats are installed in the second row and these come with individual armrests and extra-long slide adjustment.  The front passengers and those in the second row also enjoy superior comfort in the Zero Gravity Seats that are proven to reduce fatigue due to their neutral posture position inspired by NASA studies.

Quality materials are used for the Serena and with the Premium Highway Star variant, combination Nappa leather that is quilted deliversthe premium look and feel.  Customers can choose either brown or black for this upholstery.

Entertainment on the move is provided by a 6-speaker infotainment system that is managed from a new advanced 9-inch full-colour touchscreen infotainment.  Besides the standard functions, there is also Apple CarPlay^TM and Android Auto^TM connectivity, enabling favourite apps from compatible smartphones to be transferred onto the display panel.  This means that navigation apps like Google Maps or Waze can be viewed and accessed from the touchscreen and/or voice-activated too.

The Premium Highway Star variant also come with an 11.6-inch LCD panel that folds down from the ceiling.  This allows the rear passengers to enjoy movies or other AV entertainment while on the move.  For parents with restless kids, this will certainly be a useful distraction when the journey is long!

The new Serena S-HYBRID is available for viewing and test-drives at all Nissan showroom throughout Malaysia.  For customers who are not able to visit Nissan showroom, they may view necessary product information and get doorstep test drive of the newSerena from the comfort of their home through Nissan Online Showroom at https://nissan.com.my/onlineshowroom/. 

What’s more?  If a purchase decision is made, via Lazada Nissan Flagship store, a low-booking fee payment online is available and our Sales Representative will be in touch to assist in completing the purchase process. For more information, customers can visit the Nissan Malaysia website at www.nissan.com.my or contact the Nissan Customer Care Centre hotline at 1800-88-3838.

Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn. Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad (TCMH), is the sales and marketing arm of Nissan vehicles in Malaysia. In 1957, Tan Chong Motors was appointed the franchise holder of Nissan/Datsun vehicles in Malaysia and Nissan/Datsun became the best-selling brand in the country in 1970.  TCMH was listed on the Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad in 1974. The group is principally involved in the assembly and distribution of automobiles. To complement TCMH’s auto business, TCMH provides a wide range of services such as vehicle after sales, hire purchase financing, leasing, and insurance.