I was anticipating for this new baby from Nissan couple of months ago. The Nissan Grand Livina had finally arrived here and was made known to the public 2 days ago in a small launch at Heritage Mansion, in Kuala Lumpur. Had lost my way and went around in circles to find the hiding pub-cum-restaurant.
Days ago, I collected the Mazda BT-50 pick-up truck for test drive and only returned it this morning. So, I had to bring the truck to the launch and was lucky to find a spot to park the Mazda. The ceremony started late, with an opening speech by the Executive Director of Edaran Tan Chong Motors, Dato’ Ang Bon Beng. The speech was concluded with a special message by Nissan’s CEO, Carlos Ghosn, in a pre-recorded video speech. According to Ghosn, the Grand Livina has been tailored to the needs of the ASEAN users, and is not derived from any European Nissan make.
There I was, cramming with journalists and photographers from other publications, finding the best possible spot for some photo snapping. As it was revealed, photographers were shooting away on the new MPV. I find it a bit low and looks very similar to the Honda Stream, also with a low stature.
Here are some pictures of the new MPV, which has been a best selling MPV in Indonesia, and has also won several awards from the same country and from China.
From a general scrutiny on the MPV, some parts looked a bit cheap - the rear door where the telescopic bars were a bit familiar to that of a Kancil. The folding of the 2nd row seats, the metal bars were quite thin and simply designed. The fittings of the plastics were not bad though, the same goes for the fabrics used on the cushions.
The Grand Livina shares a lot of similarities as the Latio especially on the door panels and the dashboard. Once again, the glove box (or luggage box, more like it) were as cavernous as the Latio too. For the rear passengers, those who worry about not getting enough air-cond, fret not as there is a dedicated blower situated behind the handbrake console.
Available in 2 variants, the Grand Livina is offered in the 1.6L and 1.8L engines. The 1.6L (automatic) is at RM86,600, whereas the manual version is priced at RM82,800. The 1.8L is only available in automatic transmission and with C-VTC (Continuous Variable-valve Timing Control) is fixed at RM95,300.
There was a video presentation of the Grand Livina at the launch where there were a comparison test. The video showed the Grand Livina against the Toyota Innova. As far as overall vehicle quality is concerned, the Grand Livina scored in almost every aspect of safety, handling and pricing. Another competitor that would be hit hard would be the new Honda Stream, that also drives like a car but seats like an MPV.
The Grand Livina would certainly do well in Malaysia thanks to its pricing and quality of the vehicle. Getting an MPV at the price below RM100k is surely a good deal. Nissan is offering a 3-year or 100,000 km warranty for any new Grand Livina purchase.
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