Space for eight and place for freight make highroof MPVs the go-to for young families
Nothing quite comes close to the practicality, spaciousness and flexibility of an MPV, especially highroof versions that allow you to literally walk in and around to get to your seat. Young families will attest to the need for generous room and adaptable arrangements in moving their gaggle of kids and strollers around.
Quite literally, a big room on wheels is just the solution to that conundrum and that is basically what a highroof MPV is, a room on wheels.
The Nissan Serena SHybrid made its way here under the nowdefunct tax and duty exemptions for fullyimported hybrids or Energy Efficient Vehicles (EEV) that expired at the end of 2013. While the law may now only apply to locallyassembled hybrids and EEVs, there is around a thousand or so units of the Serena Hybrid left in stock with the dutyexempted price tag still attached.
With the Serena Hybrid claiming the entrylevel highroof MPV segment for itself, Mazda saw the opportunity to introduce their Biante with the fuel efficient SkyActiv powertrain to try and cut themselves a larger slice of that lucrative entrylevel highroof MPV pie.
Exterior
It’s hard to make a box on wheels look good, especially with the small tyres lending it an impression of being undertyred. Nonetheless, both possess their own distinct styling that should satisfy the conservatives and those that prefer a little zest in their lines.
The Serena Hybrid leans more towards the traditional Japanese MPV lines and design cues that are more conventional but that also inadvertently cause it to look like it’s been cut from the same cloth as other Japanese MPVs.
Mazda being Mazda, however, sprinkled some ‘Soul of Motion’ from their Kodo design language to give the Biante’s front and rear end a curvaceous facade. That gigantic grille that flows into the slits that make up the headlamps is not for everybody but it did grow on us after a while.
Interior
This is undoubtedly the most crucial deciding factor in buying an MPV. Space, flexible seating configurations and practical aspects will beyond a doubt make or break the deal. The Serena Hybrid is taller and longer but the Biante comes in wider. Interestingly though, the Biante felt the more spacious of the duo.
Much of that stemmed from the minimalist interior layout that made do without the unnecessary and efficiently packaged the mandatory. For instance, the gear lever was integrated into the centre of the dash itself instead of an extension just for the lever as in the Serena Hybrid and that freed up knee room.
Both had steeringmounted controls, but for different functions; the Serena Hybrid for cruise control and the Biante for the audio system. It should be noted that the Biante isn’t available with cruise control, something of a necessity given the family duty that MPVs are subjected to.
Moving back to the important rows, the extra seating configurations of the Serena Hybrid gave it back an edge over the Biante. The third row seats in the Nissan could be folded upwards and out of the way, making it easier to load large cargo in the rear.
This was something the Biante lacked as its third row could only be rolled all the way back or forward and the bottom folded up but could not be folded upwards.
Furthermore, the first and second rows in the Serena could be laid out flat in a row, much like a bed, to serve as makeshift resting spot during long drives. While the seats in the Serena Hybrid are wrapped in leather here, the standard ones come with fabric and leather is an option at RM2,800, as are the multimedia head unit and roofmounted LCD screen.
The Biante, on the other hand, comes with the head unit and additional screens as standard but leather seats will cost more at RM4,800.
The sliding centre console in the Serena proved to be extremely useful as it increased storage space for the driver and provided two cupholders, or it could be slid between the two captain chairs of the second row to make it a threeseater. Cubby holes and cupholders score major brownie points in an MPV and the Biante lacked enough of them although it did have larger dual gloveboxes in the front.
Of course, powered sliding doors are standard on both and were easily one of the most appreciated features.
Powertrain
It might wear a hybrid badge but the Serena Hybrid is as much a hybrid as Nutella is healthy. The Eco Motor is has only serves to restart the engine when the stopstart system is engaged and the additional battery is to increase the storage capacity for the electricity generated from regenerative braking to power the aforementioned stopstart system. It does not under any circumstances provide any assistance to actual vehicle propulsion.
Even the regular Nissan Serena comes with the Eco Motor for its stopstart system but the one employed in the Serena Hybrid is larger and has the additional battery for added capacity. Put that aside, and both MPVs sport quite similar engines and power figures. Both are powered by 2litre, inlinefours with direct injection. The Serena Hybrid pumps out 145hp and 210Nm of torque while the Biante has some extra ponies at 149hp but less torque at 190Nm.
Where they go down separate routes is the transmission. A CVT is Nissan’s option while Mazda opted for their SkyActiv sixspeed automatic.
Driving Impression
Immediately, the first thing that hits you is the punchier and more responsive throttle response in the lower power band of the Serena Hybrid that made urban driving much easier. However, as we turned on to the highway, the engine seemed to run out of breath and needed a little more effort to maintain a decent cruising speed but never seemed underpowered at all.
In the other corner, the Biante displayed the complete opposite engine characteristics of the Serena Hybrid. The SkyActiv mill lacked power in the lower revs, so much so that it was an annoyance in urban driving. Once it did get up to speed, however, the Biante was a smooth operator on the highway and seemed to love cruising, covering ground effortlessly.
The CVT in the Serena Hybrid hardly displayed any dragging that is prevalent in CVTs but it did lack that refinement the SkyActiv sixspeed auto had on the road. However, the sixspeed in the Biante always short shifted, which was a contributor to the lack of oomph at lower revs.
Fortunately, the Biante had paddle shifters to overcome that but having to flip it all the time negated the advantages of using an automatic in the first place. One aspect that buyers will be keeping an eye on is the fuel consumption and the results were surprising to say the least.
The Serena Hybrid was by far the more fuel efficient of the two, returning an average of 12.4km/l over the much lower 9km/l of the Biante. Having an Eco mode and a multitude of indicators to help carry a more economical driving style in the Serena Hybrid went a long way too.
Even with our bumpy roads, both displayed impressive levels of comfort with a pliant ride that absorbed bumps well. Unsurprisingly too, both cowered at the sight of corners although the Biante held its ground a little longer before feeling like it would topple over.
Conclusion
As entry level highroof MPVs, the Biante and Serena Hybrid represent excellent value for money with the amount of features and practicality that is packaged into them. On paper, both are almost evenly matched in all aspects but on the road, the Serena Hybrid proved to be the superior one.
It had the edge in the majority of aspects that actually carried weight in selecting an MPV. From the additional seating configurations and extra storage spaces in the interior to the punchier low end power and better fuel economy on the road, the Serena Hybrid makes more sense.
The only drawback is that the multimedia head unit and LCD display for movies are costoptions that in the Biante are standard, and that pushes up the price a pinch.
Specifications of the Nissan Serena S-Hybrid
Engine: 1,997cc, inlinefour, DOHC 16V, Twin CVTC, direct injection, Eco Motor + generator + secondary battery
Max power: 145hp@5,600rpm
Max torque: 210Nm@4,400rpm
Transmission: Xtronic CVT
Fuel consumption: 12.4km/l (as tested)
Safety features: Dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, VDC, Hill Start Assist, active front headrests, child-seat anchors
Price: RM149,515.30 (standard)
Price as tested: RM156,715.30 includes multimedia navigation head unit (RM3,300), roof-
mounted LCD screen (RM700), leather seats (RM2,800) and window visors (RM400)
Specifications of the Mazda Biante SkyActiv 2.0
Engine: 1,998cc, inlinefour, DOHC 16V, direct injection, SkyActiv
Max power: 149hp@6,000rpm
Max torque: 190Nm@4,100rpm
Transmission: SkyActivDrive sixspeed automatic
Fuel consumption: 9km/l (as tested)
Safety features: Dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, DSC, traction control, ISOFIX anchorage points
Price: RM149,797.00 OTR w/insurance