People who need a 7-seater can get moving with these 2 new MPVs at the Singapore Motorshow 2024

The Nissan Serena e-Power and Honda Step WGN are the latest Japanese MPVs for Singapore families who need a spacious three-row cabin.

These practical people-movers make their local debut at Singapore Motorshow 2024 in Suntec City. 

The new Nissan Serena was designed with the product concept of "Big, Easy, Fun" — big on the inside but compact on the outside (it's basically the same size as the previous Serena); easy to drive/park and easy for the whole family to journey together; and fun thanks to the EV-like acceleration of Nissan's e-Power technology. 

The Serena is packed with family-friendly features, so much so that it could be the poster car for our Ministry of Social & Family Development. Said features include a roomy interior with comfy seats, auto-sliding main doors, good air-conditioning, various pockets for digital devices and personal effects, water-repellent seat upholstery, and a dual-opening tailgate for easier loading/unloading of cargo. 

The head of the household will appreciate the Serena's wide windscreen, even more generous legroom for the parent behind the wheel who wears the pants, second-generation e-Power performance (with 1.4-litre three-cylinder engine instead of 1.2-litre), and pushbutton-style transmission selector. The new Serena will be available in seven-seater and eight-seater configurations for Singapore. 

The new Step WGN will be the first official version of Honda's "big-box" people-mover wagon (that's what the WGN means) in Singapore. It is a major step-up from the Freed, Honda's other seven-seater MPV in the Kah Motor range. 

The newcomer comes to town as the high-spec Spada variant, with Honda's 2-litre e:HEV hybrid drivetrain capable of over 20 kilometres per litre at its most efficient. 

As a mobile "bento box" for the modern Japanese/Singaporean family, the Step WGN provides plenty of configurable cabin space, an assortment of onboard storage points, comfortable seats (including a pair of captain's chairs in the second row), power-sliding rear doors, and a versatile boot with third-row "Magic Seats" which stow individually under the floor when needed. Too bad the brilliant "Waku-Waku" backdoor of the previous model has been replaced by a conventional powered tailgate. 

The driver is given a user-friendly dashboard, which includes a tidy cluster of controls for the air-con, transmission and electronic parking brake. The infotainment is served up on a 9-inch touchscreen.

Outward visibility is excellent, thanks to large windows all around, sizeable side mirrors and a reverse parking camera. The Honda Sensing suite of advanced driving aids makes the Step WGN safer and even easier to drive.

The Singapore Motorshow 2024 will run from Jan 11 to 14, 2024 at Levels 3 and 4 of Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre. Tickets can be purchased online at SISTIC or in person at Suntec Singapore Concourse Level 3. 

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This article was first published in Motorist.