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text and photos By Brian Afuang
There was nothing subtle about the whole thing. In choosing Bali as
the place to unveil its Grand Livina, Nissan clearly conveys the
message its latest multipurpose vehicle (MPV) is more than just your
average family van or a plebian people-hauling commercial purpose
shuttle. Bali is a world-renowned paradise, a place of exotic
culture where its Eastern roots not only survive but thrive in a
modern world that’s increasingly becoming Western, a place where
wedged between Billabong and Riptide surfer shops are temples laced
with intricate carvings, a place that attracts tourists who lead
upscale lifestyles, who can afford the luxuries of both cash and
time. And that, apparently, is what the Grand Livina is all about.
It’s a vehicle targeted towards a more affluent, if not stylish,
set. Or simply, to those who know how to live life.
The Grand Livina is an all-new
global product developed at the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi,
Japan. Because Nissan and French auto giant Renault are partners,
there is a certain European appeal to the vehicle—like most of new
Nissan products. The Grand Livina’s two-box styling maybe
conservative, but details like the slight arc of the roofline, the
upward kink of the rearmost windows, and the shiny familial grille
and headlamps lend it some flair and a bit of Renault Euro chic.
East meets West.
China was the first country to
get the Grand Livina and its variants, which bodes well for us as
China, like the Philippines, is a left-hand drive market too. On
April 5, Indonesia became the second country to get the Grand Livina.
And it’s for this occasion that Nissan Motor Phils. Inc. brought
us to Bali to check out firsthand and to drive the Grand Livina
weeks before the vehicle were to officially debut in the Indonesian
market. Unfortunately, however, it may take up to next year for the
Grand Livina to make its bow in the Philippines.
The Grand Livina is a three-row,
seven-seat vehicle that sits on a monocoque chassis. Its locomotion
comes from either a 1.5-liter or 1.8-liter engine, and its power is
delivered to the front wheels by a five-speed manual or four-speed
automatic gearbox. Brakes for higher variants will likely be discs
all around with ABS. The front wheels turn by means of a rack and a
pinion. A five-seat version, called merely as the Livina, is
available, but most likely it’s only the larger vehicle with the
1.8-liter engine that will make it to our shores.
At the product briefing held at
the luxurious Hotel Padma Bali resort, Nissan executives compared
the Grand Livina to the Toyota Innova in some of its features, even
if the Nissan vehicle is closer in size to the Toyota Avanza. By
using the Innova as a reference, it’s highly possible that Nissan
is targeting the Toyota vehicle’s price range even as it aims the
Grand Livina at a different set of customers.
In their presentation, Nissan
executives emphasized the Grand Livina’s car-like attributes that
include a sedan’s handling capability and ride quality, an
interior that puts comfort and luxury above all else, and thoughtful
convenience features that should satisfy more discerning buyers.
Because the Grand Livina is a from-the-grounds-up vehicle, Nissan
had the luxury to style and spec the vehicle freely, yet making it
remain functional in the process. The result is a handsome, airy
interior with
quality fabrics and materials plus a dashboard that has bits of
fashionable painted metal-like surfaces that contrast well with
light-hued, soft-contoured panels. As in most vehicles that belong
to this genre, the Grand Livina’s seats can easily be configured
to accommodate passengers or luggage and has numerous storage bins
and cup holders.
Other touches—while initially
seeming to be lame excuses—are actually well thought-out. The
Grand Livina does not have airconditioning vents at the rear, but
Nissan designers shaped the vehicle’s ceiling in such a way that
cool air from the dashboard would graze it and reach the rearmost
seats. In real life, it actually works.
On Bali’s claustrophobically
narrow country lanes, the Grand Livina works well too, although we
would have preferred better legroom in the front seats. Though the
Philippine contingent suffer from a right-hand drive handicap that
turns every lane merge, intersection crossing and overtaking
maneuver into an adventure thriller, the fact that the Grand Livina
has agreeable road holding manners makes the Bali experience more of
a pleasure than a chore. Which is quite a blessing, as that allowed
us to soak in Bali’s less traveled sights as we traversed paradise
in a circuitous daylong road trip.
Truth be told, the Grand
Livina’s adequate acceleration prowess, steady cornering,
confidence inspiring braking and comfortable ride allowed us to
enjoy the drive without constantly thinking of the driving itself.
Like any proper servant, the vehicle discreetly let us go about our
business of partaking in the scenery Bali has to offer, allowing us
to briefly immerse ourselves in the local culture as we explore
out-of-the-way places in the highlands or the more tourist-y
shopping strips, but always at the ready to extend its competent
services. On second thought, the Grand Livina isn’t about living
the crazy life, but more about living the grand life.
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