Nissan’s latest Serena facelift isn’t just a surface-level refresh—it’s a statement. The Japanese automaker clearly wants to give buyers something more than just a new grille or a few tech upgrades.

In America, Nissan attempts to slake our kinschlepping needs with its slow-selling Quest minivan, but in Japan, where consumers seem a lot less reluctant to buy MPVs, there are a lot more models for ...