2026 Nissan Elgrand to launch in Thailand end of year – is Malaysia also getting the Toyota Alphard rival?

Nissan is known to move at a glacial pace in Southeast Asia – witness the fourth-generation X-Trail arriving in Malaysia at the end of this year, several months after the fifth generation was revealed. But perhaps it’s learning – the new fourth-gen Elgrand, fresh from its debut at the Japan Mobility Show in late 2025, is set to be launched in Thailand by end-year.

That’s according to Autolifethailand, which reported that the luxury MPV will do battle with the all-conquering Toyota Alphard and Vellfire, offered solely in hybrid e-Power form with e-4orce electric all-wheel drive. It added that while the Elgrand’s starting price is higher than its sworn rivals’ in Japan, over in the Land of Smiles it will be classified as an EV, since its petrol engine does not drive the wheels directly.

As such, it’s expected to incur a lower import tax at 20% – versus 80% for a conventional hybrid – which should make it less expensive than that Alphard. The latter, by the way, is priced starting at 4,269,000 baht (RM516,300) for the standard hybrid model, rising up to 4,639,000 baht (RM561,100) for the Luxury; the Vellfire retails at 4,419,000 baht (RM534,500).

The Elgrand was only just launched in Japan last week, powered by Nissan’s latest third-generation e-Power technology. That means you get a new 5-in-1 electric motor at the front producing 205 PS and 330 Nm of torque, along with a new hybrid-specific 140 PS/228 Nm ZR15DDTe 1.5 litre turbo three-cylinder engine that functions solely as a generator.

This marks the car out as being different from the X-Trail, which uses a variable-compression turbo (VC-Turbo) mill. The e-4orce system adds a second 136 PS/195 Nm electric motor on the rear axle to increase performance and traction; the latest version increases rear output in the corners to improve handling.

While Nissan has not provided combined outputs or a zero-to-100 km/h acceleration time, it does quote a combined fuel consumption of 16.8 km per litre (6.0 litres per 100 km) on Japan’s lower-speed version of the WLTP cycle. The Elgrand also adopts adaptive dampers, active noise cancellation and a “smooth stop” function that reduces jolting when braking to a stop, similar to BMW’s Neue Klasse models.

The new Elgrand has been designed to be a “private maglev” on wheels, with a streamlined design and a commanding stance. The concave full-width grille, which features body-coloured square inserts and incorporates the taillights, has been inspired by the Japanese woodworking technique kumiko – a motif that is mirrored in the full-width taillights. Meanwhile, the intricate 18-inch wheels come with a resin “finisher” to complement the alloy design.

Inside, the Elgrand is said to take after a private lounge, coming with a wide dashboard design that wraps into the doors, the latter continuing with the kumiko theme in the quilting. The front occupants sit high for a good view out, laying their eyes on the closely-spaced 14.3-inch instrument and infotainment displays with built-in Google services. There’s also a 22-speaker Bose sound system and two of the faster-charging Qi2 wireless chargers hidden in the centre console, along with no less than three 100-volt power outlets.

The seven seats all feature Nissan’s proprietary Zero Gravity design, incorporating ottomans for the front passenger and both second-row captain’s chairs. The latter have individually-adjustable upper seat backs, allowing occupants to prop themselves upwards to watch the roof monitor or their phones. The power-sliding doors come with a half-open function to block rain ingress while passengers are getting in or out, and the company claims the car can fit seven carry-on suitcases even with all seats up.

In terms of driver assists, the Elgrand comes as standard with ProPilot Level 2 semi-autonomous driving functionality, with the range-topper adding auto lane change and hands-off traffic jam driving. The optional ProPilot 2.0 extends hands-off driving to highways in Japan and adds overtaking support.

With Thailand leading ASEAN when it comes to Nissan’s regional strategy, the expected arrival of the Elgrand naturally increases the possibility of it coming to Malaysia. It must be said, however, that the car won’t have the same advantage here, as all hybrid models are taxed the same, no matter if the wheels are motivated by petrol power or not. Either way, would you buy it if it comes? Let us know in the comments.

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