The is a

compact MPV Compact MPV (an abbreviation for Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle) is a vehicle size class for the middle size of MPVs. The Compact MPV size class sits between the mini MPV and large MPV (minivan) size classes. Compact MPVs remain predominantly a ...

built by

Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...

mainly for the Japanese market. __TOC__

Etymology

The name was derived from the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

word " festa", meaning holiday, festival or party, and according to the manufacturer "expresses a desire to spend an enjoyable time in the car together with family members or friends."

First generation (B30; 2004)

It was unveiled on September 2, 2004 and first released on December 2, 2004, with a sales target of 5,000/month. The Lafesta shares a platform with the

Renault Scénic The Renault Scénic () is a car which was produced by French car manufacturer Renault, the first to be labelled as a small multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in Europe. The first generation was based on the chassis of the Mégane, a small family car ...

and

Renault Megane Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

. The Lafesta was the successor to the Nissan Prairie/Liberty and competed with the

Toyota Isis The Toyota Isis is a seven-seat large MPV manufactured by Kanto Auto Works under contract for Japanese automaker Toyota. It is sold in Japan and was launched in September 2004. It features sliding doors and is available with either front- or f ...

Honda Stream The Honda Stream is a car manufactured by the Japanese automaker Honda since October 2000. The second generation model was officially presented on 13 July 2006. It has been described as a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) or as an estate car. __TOC__ ...

Toyota WISH The is an automobile produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota from 2003 to 2017. It is a compact MPV with standard three-row seating, and was positioned between the Corolla Spacio and the Ipsum in Toyota's minivan lineup. In Japan, it was avai ...

Subaru Exiga The is a mid-size MPV that debuted as a concept car during the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. According to the Japanese Subaru press introduction materials, the name "Exiga" is a neologism combination of the words "exciting" and "active". The Exiga nam ...

, and the

Mazda Premacy The is a passenger minivan that was built by the Japanese manufacturer Mazda from 1999 to 2018. The first generation Premacy was built in Japan and exported to Europe and Asia. A rebadged version was sold by Ford in a few Asian markets (includ ...

. The Lafesta also replaced the

Nissan Avenir The Nissan Avenir is a line of station wagons beginning production in May 1990 by Nissan of Japan, with the budget oriented delivery van starting out as the Avenir Cargo, then being renamed the Nissan Expert ( ja) in 1999. The Avenir replaced the ...

. The vehicle offers sliding doors on both sides (one of which is power-assisted), Nissan's Intelligent key system,

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...

navigation system, reverse camera and a very large

sunroof A sunroof is a movable panel that opens to uncover a window in an automobile roof, allowing light and fresh air to enter the passenger compartment. Sunroofs can be manually operated or motor driven, and are available in many shapes, sizes and styl ...

. The only engine option available is a 2.0 L '' MR20DE''

inline-four A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the ...

unit. Both front- and

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

transmissions are available; the former uses a

torsion beam suspension The twist-beam rear suspension (also torsion-beam axle, deformable torsion beam or compound crank) is a type of automobile suspension based on a large H or C-shaped member. The front of the H attaches to the body via rubber bushings, and the r ...

at the rear while the latter has a

trailing arm A (semi) trailing-arm suspension, sometimes referred to as (semi) trailing-link is a vehicle axle or wheel suspension design in which one or more horizontal arms (or "links"), perpendicular to and forward of the axle, are connecting the axle or ...

multi-link arrangement. The Lafesta is built at the same factory that once produced the larger

Nissan Presage The is a minivan produced by Japanese automaker Nissan from 1998 to 2009. The Presage was only officially sold by Nissan in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. The name "Presage" is French for "omen". 2004 Nissan Lafesta (rear).jpg, Nissan Lafesta (pre-facelift) 2004-2007 NISSAN LAFESTA Highway STAR.jpg, Nissan Lafesta Highway Star (pre-facelift) Lafesta07.jpg, Nissan Lafesta (facelift) Lafesta07rear.jpg, Nissan Lafesta (facelift) Nissan Lafesta.jpg, Nissan Lafesta Highway Star (facelift) Nissan Lafesta 001.JPG, Interior

Second generation (B35; 2011)

2nd generation NISSAN LAFESTA Highway STAR rear

The second generation Lafesta is a version of the third generation Mazda Premacy supplied to Nissan by

Mazda , commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan. In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...

on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis. Mazda supplied the Premacy for use in the Nissan Lafesta Highway Star beginning in May 2011. Unlike the Premacy, the new Nissan Lafesta Highway Star ditches the Nagare design. Japanese models went on sale on June 15, 2011. Models available include Highway Star (J, G and G Supuremo).

Discontinuation

Following the discontinuation of the Mazda Premacy, sales of the Nissan Lafesta Highway Star ended on March 24, 2018.

References

External links

Nissan Lafesta (Global)

Nissan LAFESTA (Japanese)
{{Nissan Lafesta Vehicles with CVT transmission Cars introduced in 2004 2010s cars All-wheel-drive vehicles Front-wheel-drive vehicles Minivans