Nissan Grand Livina (aka Livina Geniss) [ARCHIVED]

[carlocaraddict]

I read in the papers this morning (PDI in Aida Sevilla's column) that the Nissan Grand Livina will arrive here in 2008 pa. Too bad. It was launched in Indonesia last Thursday and it will compete against the Innova.





as usual, late nanaman tayo.

[valskie01]

monocoque body vs innova's ladder frame chassis . yung nga lang walang CRDI engine. parang underpower and HR15DE engine dito though the MR18DE engine is sufficient IMO.

[Rav_5]

Ganda nyan! Carlo Lupit ng Radar mo talaga!

[swimstroke]

Pasok lang ng pasok!

[chase]

late na nga nanaman...hay. ganda sana monocoque

[Blackraven]

though the MR20DE engine is sufficient IMO.

Fixed.
I have yet to see a Nissan vehicle that uses the MR20DE engine in this country. Sana NMPI would keep this in mind.

But regarding release date, year 2008 is TOO LATE. Since the vehicle production is within the ASEAN region (this is not a Japan-built model), it has to launch within this year....because 2008 is too damn late.

[mazdamazda]

128hp & 174Nm torque yung MR20DE engine.

[carlocaraddict]

Fixed.
I have yet to see a Nissan vehicle that uses the MR20DE engine in this country. Sana NMPI would keep this in mind.

But regarding release date, year 2008 is TOO LATE. Since the vehicle production is within the ASEAN region (this is not a Japan-built model), it has to launch within this year....because 2008 is too damn late.

by the way, the Grand Livina will be assembled here according to the article

[gearspeed]

Parang pahabol na lang yung sa atin niyan ah.Nissin biscuits talaga.

[carlocaraddict]

On the Road
By Aida Sevilla Mendoza
Inquirer

The Grand Livina challenge

NISSAN Motor Philippines Inc. (NMPI) has a disconcerting habit of bringing the newest Nissan vehicles rather late to market in this country. The Murano was launched here three years after it was introduced in the United States, the Teana was unveiled only last February after debuting in Thailand in 2004, while the Tiida and latest iteration of the Frontier pickup still have to show up on our shores-with Universal Motors Corp. eagerly waiting for the latter.

But now, as if to compensate for its procrastination, NMPI is forecasting a future offering one year in advance. Last month, NMPI brought seven motoring media to Bali, Indonesia to test-drive what was promulgated as NMPI's most important product since the X-Trail: the Nissan Grand Livina. Motoring journalists from Malaysia, China and Japan as well as Indonesia were also in Bali for the Nissan Grand Livina international media test.

The Grand Livina, formally launched in Indonesia last April 5, will be unveiled in China later this month and in Malaysia sometime this year. But it won't be available in Manila until mid-2008 although NMPI has already retooled its assembly plant to produce 300 units a month.

Why Bali?

Meanwhile, why the international media test was held in Bali is obvious. Bali is in Indonesia, where the Toyota Kijang, better known as the Tamaraw and later as Revo in the Philippines, originated. Two or three years ago, the Kijang/Revo was phased out in favor of the Innova which, like the Fortuner SUV, is built on the same IMV (Innovative International Multipurpose Vehicle) platform as the Toyota Hilux pickup. The Innova easily assumed the Revo's leadership in the entry-level multipurpose vehicle (MPV)-cum-Asian utility vehicle (AUV) market in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Now comes the Grand Livina, billed as a variant of Nissan's new family of global cars just like the Innova was introduced as a variant of Toyota's global IMV series. Clearly, the Grand Livina was designed to challenge the Innova in emerging market sales-so what better venue to start this contest than Indonesia, the birthplace of the Kijang?
Nissan's plan to challenge the Innova was confirmed at the Grand Livina product and design presentation for the Philippine group in Bali last March 10. The Grand Livina is a seven-seater, car-based MPV that will be assembled as CKD (completely knocked down) units in Manila, selling for a price lower than the Innova's and positioned between the Mitsubishi Grandis, winner of the Car Award Group's Luxury MPV of the Year in 2005 and 2006, and the Innova, the Entry-Level MPV of the Year two years in a row.

Global cars

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. is investing $400 million to bring the Grand Livina to key global markets. Nissan's plan to introduce a new series of global cars was announced in July 2006 with a sales forecast of 200,000 units a year. Like the other variants in the family of global cars, the Livina was developed at the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, Japan. It will be built on a shared Renault-Nissan Alliance platform and have the same suspension as the Nissan Tiida.

The sedan platform and monocoque body are what sets the Grand Livina apart from the truck-based Innova. At the presentation, Satoshi Matsutomi, Nissan's chief product specialist, described the Grand Livina as a stylish MPV that offers families a totally new driving experience with sedan-like comfort and performance. Its name was coined from the words "live/living" connoting a more active life through cars and its target market is the married male executive who has one or two kids and is active both at work and for his family


2 engines

The Grand Livina is offered with two twin-cam, 16-valve gasoline engines to choose from: the 1.8-liter that produces 128 ps/5,200 rpm and 17.9 kg-m/4,800 rpm max torque and the 1.5-liter that delivers 109 ps/6,000 rpm and 15.1 kg-m/4,400 rpm max torque. Both have Continuous Valve Timing Control (CVTC) and come with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed automatic transmission

Kinny Saitou, Nissan's product chief designer, said that the Grand Livina is 134 mm shorter in overall length, has a ground clearance 15 mm lower and weighs 385 to 430 kg less than the 2.0-liter Innova variants. Yet it has room for seven occupants with comfy, sofa-like second and third row seats. ecause it is more compact and lighter, the Grand Livina requires a smaller, more fuel-efficient engine than the Innova's, he pointed out. So Nissan's 1.8-liter MR18-DE engine powers the Grand Livina as ably as Toyota's 2.0-liter 1TR-FE engine moves the Innova.

(Next week: Driving the Grand Livina in Bali)

aida sevilla is right heheh