The Nissan e-Power hybrid system uses the petrol motor to power the electric motor
At the Malaysia Autoshow 2024, the majority of the brands either showed us the same few products we have already seen while also launching a few new models here and there, so nothing really caught our attention. Well, Nissan showed off something very eye catching, though and this was its very loud Nissan Kicks e-Power SUV running on the brand’s e-Power powertrain.
The Nissan Kicks SUV is not being sold here but after seeing the hybrid e-Power system Nissan employs in it, we wish the brand would sell more e-Power vehicles like the Kicks here. Of course, Nissan also showed off a Navara pickup truck (decked out for a camping trip) and an Almera sedan (in black edition) but the star of the show was undoubtedly this Kicks e-Power.
At the autoshow, Nissan waxed lyrical about the benefits of their e-Power system, citing its pure electric propulsion and the convenience of not needing to plug in. The system works by using a smaller petrol engine as a generator, but keeping this petrol engine separate from the running gear. e-Power is indeed pretty impressive as a hybrid system. However, it does not qualify for the generous excise duty and import tax exemptions that battery electric vehicles receive.
Edaran Tan Chong Motor, the official distributor of Nissan vehicles in Malaysia, promised that e-Power will be arriving in the country by the end of 2024. In which form, we do not know. While the Kicks e-Power was brought into Malaysia and displayed at the show, we have some doubts that it will be launched here.
For one, the model shown is now many years old and there’s already a 2nd generation Kicks in the North American market. Will ETC risk adding an outdated, model into a competitive market without pricing advantages? Maybe, but probably not.
Our guess is that e-Power will make its Malaysian debut on the 6th generation Nissan Serena. The current Serena has a very special place in the market being the only proper CKD Japanese MPV at that price point. The competing Innova Zenix Hybrid is made in Indonesia and priced much higher. Other entries like the Mitsubishi Xpander and Toyota Veloz are a size smaller and not quite MPV-like compared to the Serena. Nissan Serena owners are already accustomed to hybrid technology as it has been the only powertrain option on this model for 2 generations. A 3rd generation, this time with e-Power instead of S-Hybrid technology would do well here.
