The Nissan Lafesta is a compact MPV built mainly for the Japanese market. The first generation appeared in 2004 as the successor to the Nissan Prairie/Liberty and the Nissan Avenir, and a second generation followed in 2011 as a Mazda-built car. The name comes from the Italian word festa, meaning holiday or party.
Nissan Lafesta at a glance
| First generation | B30, from December 2004 |
|---|---|
| Unveiled | 2 September 2004 |
| Sales target | 5,000 a month |
| Platform | shared with the Renault Scénic and Mégane |
| Engine | 2.0-litre MR20DE four |
| Drive | front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive |
| Doors | sliding on both sides, one power-assisted |
| Second generation | B35, from June 2011 |
| Second-generation basis | Mazda Premacy, supplied as an OEM |
| Sales ended | March 2018 |
based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Nissan Lafesta.
History of the Nissan Lafesta
B30 (2004)
The first Lafesta was unveiled on 2 September 2004 and released on 2 December 2004 with a sales target of 5,000 cars a month. It shared a platform with the Renault Scénic and Mégane and replaced the Prairie/Liberty and the Avenir in Nissan’s range. It competed with the Toyota Isis, Honda Stream, Toyota Wish, Subaru Exiga and Mazda Premacy. Equipment included sliding doors on both sides, one of them power-assisted, the Nissan Intelligent Key, satellite navigation, a reversing camera and a very large sunroof. The only engine was the 2.0-litre MR20DE four; front-wheel-drive cars used a torsion beam rear axle while four-wheel-drive versions had a trailing-arm multi-link arrangement. The Lafesta was built in the factory that had produced the larger Presage. A minor facelift came in 2007, and the first generation was discontinued in Japan on 26 December 2012 after being sold alongside the second, rebranded as the Lafesta Joy.
B35 (2011)
The second generation was a version of the third-generation Mazda Premacy supplied to Nissan on an OEM basis. Mazda provided the car for the Nissan Lafesta Highway Star from May 2011, with the Nagare design removed. Japanese sales began on 15 June 2011 in Highway Star J and G forms, the G Supremo joining in April 2012. When Mazda discontinued the Premacy, sales of the Lafesta Highway Star ended in March 2018.
Design and features
- Twin sliding doors: one of them power-assisted.
- Large sunroof: a notable feature in a compact MPV.
- MR20DE engine: a single 2.0-litre option.
- Mazda cooperation: the second generation came from Mazda.
Nissan Lafesta versions
- Lafesta B30 (2004–2012): the original, built alongside the Presage.
- Lafesta Joy (2012): the first generation renamed at the end of its life.
- Lafesta Highway Star (2011–2018): the Mazda Premacy-based second generation.
The Lafesta replaced the Prairie and Liberty and the Avenir, and sat below the Serena. More cars are in the Nissan collection.
Video: Nissan Lafesta 2005 109kms Gunmetal 7st 2.0L
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Nissan Lafesta, English Wikipedia: name, generations, platform, equipment, Mazda OEM
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