Nissan Serena Reviews

Taiwanese cars built in Japan? Foxconn eyes off historic Nissan factory as potential joint-venture.

Nissan has introduced a more affordable hybrid entry offering in Australia, with a new Qashqai electrified variant sneaking in under the $50K mark. The 2026 Nissan Qashqai can now be had as a Ti e-Power, a roughly middle-of-the-range variant.

Which Mitsubishi do you wish would make a comeback? Pajero? Lancer?  Well, Mitsubishi is currently undertaking a massive overhaul of its Australian line-up with several new models to come to fill the gaps. So while they're at it we’ve put together our wishlist of cars they really should really revive or bring here. The changes to the Australian Design rules (ADRs) in March this year meant Mitsubishi had to axe three vehicles from its local lineup.  These were the ASX small SUV, the bigger Eclipse Cross SUV and the Pajero Sport off-roader. This leaves Mitsubishi with just two cars on sale in Australia — the Triton ute and Outlander mid-sized SUV. Meanwhile Toyota has 23 models on sale.Now we're not suggesting that Mitsubishi needs another 21 models, Ford is managing just fine on pretty much the Ranger, Everest and Mustang, but I definitely think there are some essentials the brand could use and a few dream cars while we're at it.Probably the most obvious model Mitsubishi needs right now is the Pajero. Yep once-upon-a-1990s the Toyota Prado and Mitsubishi Pajero wrestled for dominance all over Australia, from the outback to suburbia. The Pajero eventually lost the battle and was axed by Mitsubishi in 2020 … or so we thought! Imagine the comeback. Just when the new generation Prado had arrived and was still gloating, the Pajero could make its return. Sure the Pajero Sport is coming back in 2026, but that’s a Ford Everest rival. The beauty is Mitsubishi could easily plonk another, posher-looking SUV body on the ladder frame and call it the Pajero. And they’ve already got the badges made up. You just just take the “Sport” bit off. Think of the savings.Next on our wish list is not really a car that would sell in high numbers, but it'd be the halo car in many ways the brand needs so badly right now —  a reborn Lancer, and yes, with an Evolution grade as well. Or maybe just a standalone Lancer Evo XI. I think we’re up to XI, I can't remember but I tested the very final one in 2015.Back in the final glory days of Ford Falcon versus Holden Commodore there were two other tribes going to war: Subaru WRX v Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. These days the WRX lives on, but it looks so lonely without the Lancer EVO to play with.Finally, and given the number of grey imports we see of this car, Mitsubishi needs to add the Delica people mover to its Aussie line-up. What’s not to like about a high-riding all-wheel drive six-seater van?A sixth-generation of the people mover is expected in the next two years and whether it looks anything like the futuristic and silly Delica concept Mitsubishi revealed at the 2023 Tokyo Motorshow is yet to be seen.A wishlist for Mitsubishi could go one forever, who wouldn’t want to see the Colt come back, or the Cordia Turbo? Or the 3000GT?In reality the ASX will be back and so too will the Pajero Sport, and that might be all Mitsubishi needs as it faces bigger problems.  Challenges like how on Earth will it adapt to a rapidly changing market that’s been inundated with excellent electric vehicles from brands which hardly existed five years ago. Currently Mitsubishi doesn’t even sell one purely electric vehicle in Australia at all.

The latest Australian new-car sales figures show one clear leader among Chinese brands. GWM could be the first one to crack the top five for year-to-date sales in Australia as it overtakes MG and Isuzu.Japanese and Korean brands along with Ford have dominated for the past decade with their range of utes and SUVs drawing in plenty of buyers.Now manufacturers from China are storming up the sales charts. The original success story was MG, which rapidly fought its way to the top 10 off the back of an appealing array of cars at price points now abandoned by rivals, and a steady supply of new vehicles during COVID-era shortages.MG has now been surpassed by one of the longest-serving Chinese automakers in Australia, GWM.GWM has sold 25,189 new vehicles in Australia through the first six months of this year, which places it just ahead of both MG (21,674) and Isuzu (21,883).This puts it in a solid seventh position in Australia, with something of a gap between it and Mitsubishi in sixth (33,379).Mitsubishi will be looking over its shoulder in the second half of this year with stock of its ASX, Eclipse Cross and Pajero Sport SUVs runs dry, as the Japanese brand awaits new generation vehicles.GWM itself is rapidly being chased down by BYD (23,335), with its rate of growth at 144.6 per cent year-on-year much higher than that of GWM, which is up what would normally be an impressive 17 per cent.The rise of both GWM and BYD is thanks to a rapidly expanded or updated model line-up, which includes in-demand vehicles not being fulfilled by big name players.Both GWM and BYD now offer a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute, as well as a range of sharply priced PHEV SUVs (BYD), hybrid SUVs and off-roaders (GWM), and affordable electric cars.MG has languished slightly off the loss of its bargain-basement previous-generation MG3 hatch, ZS small SUV, and HS mid-sizer, which have all been replaced by more expensive new-generation offerings.MG is no doubt hoping its Kluger-rivalling QS large SUV and incoming U9 ute will be major volume additions in the latter part of the year. They will also be joined by the Camry-rivalling MG7 sedan.The next-biggest Chinese challenger, Chery, is also leaping up the sales charts, up an unprecedented 228.8 per cent so far in 2025 thanks to its bargain Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 mid-size SUV pair, and the Tiggo 4 small SUV which seems to have replaced the MG ZS as the bargain entry-level SUV of choice. It is still several thousand units away from a top-10 entry, but will almost certainly be within striking distance in 2026 if its growth continues.The rise of MG, GWM, and BYD has seen Nissan join Subaru as top-10 has-beens.The biggest gap remains between Toyota and the rest, with the 'Big T' still having moved a steady 120,978 units in 2025.

Nissan Australia is looking to boost sales and has drawn on the Japanese translation of the numbers two (Ni) and three (San) to generate a revised pricing structure for its X-Trail SUV, as the long-serving mid-size ‘Ni San’ model turns, you guessed it, 23 years old.Currently the sixth-placed player in the white-hot medium SUV segment behind family favourites such as the all-conquering Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson, the current fourth-generation Nissan X-Trail has been in market here since early 2022.As recently arrived challengers like the BYD Sealion 6, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, Geely EX5 and MG HS add extra pressure to this already hyper-competitive segment, price adjustments from established players are almost inevitable.And so it is, that with zero change to model specification the X-Trail’s Australian pricing has been reduced by between $1000 to $3000, depending on model.With a starting price now less than $37K, before on-road costs, the X-Trail throws down the gauntlet to the now hybrid-only RAV4 (from $42,260), Mitsubishi Outlander (from $37,740) and Mazda CX-5 (from $36,740) as well as newcomers like the BYD Sealion 6 (from $48,990) and Geely EX5 (from $40,990).But it’s still some distance away from the budget-focused MG HS (from $33,990 drive-away) and sharply-priced Chery Tiggo 7 Pro (from $29,990 drive-away). The current ‘T33’ X-Trail is offered across five model grades, with the entry-level ST’s standard features list including LED head and tail-lights, six-speaker audio (including digital radio) managed through an 8.0-inch multimedia display, 17-inch alloy rims, adaptive cruise control and more.Safety tech incorporates AEB (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), lane departure warning/prevention, blind-spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition and airbag coverage including a front centre ‘far side’ bag.The top-shelf Ti-L adds 10-speaker Bose audio, bigger alloys, a heated steering wheel, electric front seats (with memory), heated rear seats, Nappa leather-accented trim, ambient lighting, a hands-free tailgate and more.Earlier this year Nissan Australia also introduced a (dealer-servicing activated) 10-year/300,000km warranty operating in concert with a five-year ‘Flat Price Servicing Program’.Is this the first shot fired in a full-scale price war as more and more new brands enter what is a mature Australian new car market? Feels like the battle has only just begun.

Overnight Nissan revealed the new, Y63-generation version of its high-performance Patrol Nismo ahead of an imminent launch in the Middle East.

Car industry observers of a certain age will recall a ‘12/12’ new vehicle warranty being the norm in Australia through the 1970s and well into the ‘80s. And yes, you guessed correctly, that catchy tag refers to a 12 month/12,000km term. How far we’ve come.

The fourth-generation Nissan Leaf has been detailed, with an Australian arrival already confirmed and a new SUV-style body shape for the car that put Nissan at the forefront of electric cars more than a decade ago.The 2026 Nissan Leaf will come to Australia in the 2026 Japanese fiscal year, or between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027.When it arrives, it will boast more than 600km in range thanks to a large battery, a respectable 160kW/355Nm power and torque output and a striking departure in styling from the Leaf hatchback we know.Those range and power figures are for the longer-range 75kWh battery variant, with a smaller 52kWh battery version set to join it.The shorter-ranged Leaf is yet to be rated for range, though even the 600km+ figure is estimated for Japan and Europe, so could change before its launch.Depending on the market, the size of the new Leaf varies, but the Japanese version will be 4360mm long, 1810mm wide and 1550mm tall with a 2690mm wheelbase, putting it roughly in the same playing field as the new Kia EV3.An estimated drag coefficient of 0.26Cd goes some way to explaining its impressive range and slippery smooth design, but even with the sloping rear the Leaf can hold 420L in its boot, according to Nissan.It’s a big step up for tech over the current Nissan Leaf e+ and its 385km WLTP range, although outputs remain pretty similar - the e+ coming in at 160kW/340Nm.The Leaf’s DC fast charging is now 150kW, with Nissan saying it can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in “as little as 35 minutes”.Inside, the new Leaf gets a big redo, doing away with the dated interior and bringing in a pair of large screens, either dual 12.3-inch or dual 14.3-inch units depending on the grade.Other niceties include a 10-speaker Bose sound system, ambient lighting, wireless phone charging, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but some shortcut menus and physical controls remain for ease of use.More details for the new Leaf will be confirmed for each market closer to their launch dates, with the first to be North America.The original Leaf started production in 2010 but only arrived in Australia in mid-2012. The second-gen was an overhauled version of the first and it landed here in mid-2019. For a time the Leaf was the world's best-selling EV until it was toppled by the Tesla Model 3.

The Premcar-boosted Nissan Patrol Warrior was an impressive 4WD wagon from its first appearance a few years back.Well, now the entire 2025 Patrol range - including the Ti-based Warrior - has undergone an update.Sure, the changes don't yield any performance gains and they are cabin-based but they do include a new bigger touchscreen multimedia system, wireless charging and an off-road monitor.

It now seems inevitable that one of world’s longest-running family SUV badges may soon be retired in Australia. With low sales and high pricing pressures due to unfavourable exchange rates and ongoing geo-political uncertainties, the Nissan Pathfinder is facing an uncertain future, as it continues to stumble against popular alternatives in the large, seven-seater SUV segment like the Ford Everest,