We want the Nissan Elgrand, but it’s right-hand drive only

You may remember that at the Japan Mobility Show 2023, the very flashy Nissan Hyper Tourer concept. That eventually became the Nissan Elgrand which was unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, and now, it’s officially available in the brand’s home market of Japan.

Competing with the likes of the Toyota Alphard and Honda Odyssey, the Elgrand has been Nissan’s minivan offering for the Japanese market, along with a few other right-hand drive markets like Hong Kong. Sadly, this has never been available in left-hand drive, but we still want it.

The Elgrand receives a major redesign for this generation, faithful to the Hyper Tourer concept that follows a maglev-inspired look that supposedly makes it appear like it’s always on the move, and it looks like Nissan succeeded in that. It grows in every dimension compared to the previous generation, measuring at 4,995mm long, 1,895mm wide, 1,975mm tall, while retaining the same 3,000mm wheelbase length. 

It certainly has a lot of presence, especially with the wide Japanese Kumiko-inspired front grille that integrates lighting elements such as its headlights, a lightbar, and daytime running lights into it. The taillights and wheels also follow a similar design pattern, with the latter having a craft-like detail that normally can’t be had on aluminum, thanks to a resin finisher.

Just like the exterior, the interior is also a huge departure from the previous generation which got very dated. The layered dashboard design provides a sleeker appearance, matched with more Kumiko-inspired design details on the door panels. The driver’s seating position has also been raised for a better view of the road.

A 14.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system are integrated into a single panel, and make use of the latest NissanConnect interface as seen on the Nissan Patrol and latest X-Trail. This comes with Google Built-in, along with the usual Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, as well as the option for a 22-speaker Bose audio system.

The Nissan Elgrand can be had in either seven- or eight-seater configurations, with the former coming with second row captain seats with legrests. The third row seats fold up to the sides, the cargo floor has been lowered, and Nissan says that the Elgrand should be able to accommodate seven carry-on sized luggage even at full passenger capacity.

Powering the 2027 Nissan Elgrand is the Japanese automaker’s third-generation e-Power hybrid system. This pairs a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine (ZR15DDTe) making 140 horsepower, to front and rear electric motors that produce 205 horsepower and 136 horsepower, respectively, and a lithium-ion battery. Power is sent to all four wheels by Nissan’s e-4orce electric all-wheel drive system.

Six drive modes are available for the driver: Eco, Standard, Sport, Comfort, Snow, and the customizable Personal mode. It also comes with an Intelligent Dynamic Suspension (adaptive suspension) which adjusts damping force at each wheel in real time for a smoother ride, reducing body motion and enhancing vehicle stability.

Nissan ProPILOT is also standard on all Elgrand variants, with ProPILOT 2.0 as an option, giving hands-free driving capability on congested roads (speeds of below 50kph), along with lane change support activated via the turn signals.

Pricing for the 2027 Nissan Elgrand starts at 6,897,000 yen or approximately Php 2,620,000. The higher variant is priced at 7,579,000 yen or Php 2,880,000. Unfortunately, chances of this arriving in the Philippines is currently at zero as it remains right-hand drive only. If Nissan were to suddenly decide to offer it in left-hand drive, then maybe things can change.

_{Photos: Sam Surla, Nissan}