At the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, Nissan previewed the next-generation Elgrand. Much has been said about the upcoming minivan, and now it is finally hitting showrooms in its home market.

So, does the Elgrand have what it takes to slug it out with the perennial leader, the Toyota Alphard, and other premium minivans by Japanese, Korean, and Chinese rivals?

In designing the all-new Elgrand, Nissan had “the private maglev” concept in mind. Like the train, Nissan believes the minivan should be fast, stylish, and comfortable, making it worthy of the honor of being the flagship hybrid electric vehicle model for the Japanese automaker.

Outside, the front grille took inspiration from a traditional woodworking craft called kumiko. This seamlessly fuses with the signature headlamp clusters. The sides have clean, sleek lines, giving the air of luxury in motion.

The multi-spoke wheels come with what Nissan calls a resin finisher, following the kumiko motif of the front. The front design is mirrored in the back, where a huge taillamp cluster spans the van’s width.

There are five available finishes. The monotone colors are Prism White, Dark Metal Gray, Midnight Black, and Shigoku. Then there is a premium two-tone finish combining Shigoku and Fuji Dawn.

The Elgrand feels like a private lounge on wheels, thanks to a higher seating position, door trims that follow the kumiko motif, seamless capacitive switches, and woodgrain finishes on some panels. There are two 14.3-inch displays inside—one behind the D-shaped tiller and the other as a center display.

Ambient lighting can be found on the dash and the doors, and can be customized from 64 color settings. Each of the seven occupants of the minivan can enjoy comfortable Zero Gravity Seats.

Furthermore, these seats are wrapped in Nissan’s TailorFit material and are available in three versions: Dark for the X e-4orce, Ginsetsu (inspired by snow tinted by the faint sky at dawn), and Shitan (comes with purple and blue accents).

Other amenities include a large rear box that can hold things like a box of tissues for rear passengers. There are also three 100V AC outlets providing power up to 1,500W, and the latest Qi 2.0 wireless chargers that can juice up two devices simultaneously.

The rear sliding door opening comes with a step board that makes boarding and disembarking to and from the van easier. The third-row seats can be stowed or propped up in two positions to tinker with rear cargo space, depending on one’s needs.

But Nissan’s not done there. It pulled out all the stops to ensure passenger comfort. Its Smooth Stop technology adjusts braking force to prevent jolts when the vehicle stops. And the Elgrand has Advanced Active Noise Control, which suppresses engine and road noise for a truly quiet ride. This further improves immersive 3D surround-sound quality through the 22-speaker Bose premium audio system.

Powering the all-new Elgrand is Nissan’s third-generation e-Power system. Part of it is a new 1.5-liter turbocharged, three-cylinder engine that keeps the battery packs juiced. The latter then powers the five-in-one e-Power electric powertrain unit housing five components—a motor, a generator, an inverter, a reducer, and an increaser.

Like all series hybrids, the Elgrand gets an all-electric motor propulsion providing performance, refinement, and efficiency. It also comes with the improved e-4orce electric-drive all-wheel-control tech, ensuring optimum acceleration and traction.

Nissan’s Intelligent Dynamic Suspension adjusts damping force on each wheel, helping reduce body motion and improve overall stability. Six drive modes help adjust the suspension and powertrain settings, helping the vehicle perform at its best in varying road and driving conditions.

Finally, the Elgrand comes with the comprehensive Nissan ProPilot advanced driver-assistance systems. New features in the suite include Navi-link, Traffic Jam Hands-Off Mode, Lane Change Support, ProPilot Park, improved Intelligent Around View Monitor, and Mirror Close View.

Nissan started selling the all-new Elgrand in its home market of Japan on July 16. It will be available in two variants: X e-4orce (priced at ¥6,987,000 or P2,620,989) and G e-Force (priced at ¥7,579,000 or P2,880,162).

Nissan Philippines may have a lot of convincing to do to persuade its parent company to bring the Elgrand to our market. But if NPI succeeds in the persuasion game, do you think this would be a hit on our shores?