The car was engineered by Nissan's Aichi Manufacturing Division and launched in 1991 as a compact passenger van, and it grew larger with each generation over the years.

Earlier versions were front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with a live axle mounted on leaf springs, while the following generations are front-wheel drive or 4WD.

Competitors include the Toyota Noah, the Honda Stepwgn, the Mitsubishi Delica, and formerly, the Mazda Biante.

Throughout its production the C23 model underwent several facelifts although the interior design and body largely remained unchanged, for example, addition of airbags and bench seats for the second and third rows.

The van was produced in two versions, the Vanette E, which shared the basic body shell with the Nissan Serena people carrier, differing only in not having rear windows and passenger seats, and the Vanette Cargo, which was longer and had a higher roof line from behind the front seats.

In June 1998, LDV Group entered into an agreement with Nissan to sell a rebranded version of the Vanette Cargo.

The model was discontinued in 2001 and replaced by a rebadged version of the Renault Trafic called the Nissan Primastar, which is produced in Luton, England and Barcelona, Spain.

By 2000, the Nissan Serena was described as the worst new car sale on Britain, by Top Gear's Buyers Guide, with "absolutely nothing to recommend it for".

Although the Nissan Serena handles better than most people expect it to (due to its mid-mounted engine), its power-to-weight ratio is particularly poor, as shown by the 0–100 km/h averages listed below.

It was exclusive to Nissan Satio Store locations as a large load carrying vehicle next to the Sunny.

The Comfort Touring trim-level does not come equipped with electric sliding door and reverse camera, while the Highway Star and the Autech do.

[4] The C24 Serena was also manufactured by Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

II was sold by Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile in the form of the Taiwanese Yulon version while being rebadged to Yuxuan or Yumsun under the Dongfeng brand.

Another restyled, rebadged, and renamed version called the Dongfeng Succe and is also produced by their subsidiary Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile.

This model was also sold as the Suzuki Landy in Japan, a practice that is continued with the fourth and fifth generation Serena.

The 2011 Nissan Serena was released in late November 2010 to the Japanese market, equipped with a new 2.0-litre MR20DD direct injection inline-four petrol engine.

Nissan added a lead sub-battery in the engine room for extended energy regeneration capacity.

In Malaysia, Tan Chong launched Nissan Serena S-Hybrid in July 2013 being fully imported from Japan and only available in one trim level: Highway Star.