Right, so that family you thought you’d never have is starting to grow, and in addition to having more mouths to feed, you’re finding it out the hard way that the sporty sedan or hatchback of your dearly departed youth, is no longer cutting the mustard in terms of providing adequate space for you, plus the wife and kids, and maybe even a maid. Woe betide you even more if the current family set of wheels happens to be a coupe. Ouch.
So it’s time to hunker down, hang up the disco pants (sorry) and get yourself something that makes sense given your state of affairs; an MPV. If you’ve decided that it must be an MPV, well then quite frankly you’re in luck. The local car marked it literally flooded with MPVs of all sizes, from the diminutive Alza and Avanza, to the barn-on-wheels Alphard, and gargantuan Ssangyong Starex; an MPV so big that the front and rear passengers sit in different time zones.
I recently, however, managed to review something that struck a nice balance between the two extremes, in fact I tested them both back-to-back; the Nissan Grand Livina and its ‘hotter’ sibling the Livina Impul. I have to say, never could the term Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde be more appropriately used than to describe these two stable-mates.
Since its debut in 2007, the Nissan Grand Livina, with its tagline “Drives like a car, fits like an MPV”, has been very well received by the general public with more than 65,000 units being snapped up. The combination of an attractive sticker-price, the ample space of a 7-seater, the ease of maneuverability and versatility of the interior seat configurations has proven to be an irresistible package to many seeking the ideal family car that’s neither too big nor too small.
One of the things I like best about the Livina actually – apart from its fuss-free ownership experience – is that aforementioned versatile interior. It’s actually quite remarkable just how many ways those seats can be folded, their near limit-less configurations allow for haulage of just about anything really, within reason of course.
Available in either a 1.6-litre with auto and manual gearbox options, or a 1.8 (auto only), the Livina comes with dual-front airbags, ABD and EBD, as well as brake assist. Power is adequate from the 1.8 MR18DE engine (126Ps and 174Nm of torque), which is mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission. Active and passive safety features include dual front airbags, ABS and EBD, as well as brake assist.
With the tech bits out of the way, I’d be remiss to not mention that the drive impression that the Livina provides is very easy to like. As I mentioned earlier, it’s what fuss-free motoring is all about. Get in, turn the ‘key’ (it’s a smart-key system which allows key-less go, but you still have to turn a knob behind the steering wheel) and go. Your only worry actually is whether you have enough petrol.
Out on the move the Grand Livina may not be the most compelling thing on the road, but it does exactly what it promises. It’s an honest MPV, it won’t turn heads or make anyone do a double-take, but that’s not what it’s all about anyway. It does indeed drive like a car, it’s very easy to maneuver and thanks to its dimensions – and a bunch of sensors – it’s also easy to park. Think of it as a sedan with a lot more interior space and you’d not be far off the mark.
That last paragraph was for the Grand Livina, now forget what I just said and let’s take a gander at the Livina Impul, which is a totally different animal.
Perhaps ETCM realized that the Livina, despite being a very capable MPV, wasn’t really the belle of the ball, so in an effort to make it a tad more appealing to the heart as well as the head (it’s a very well priced value-for-money MPV) they introduced the ‘Tuned by Impul’ version recently.
Far from being something that looks like it was driven to the nearest ‘Brothers’ car accessory shop and loaded up with everything on offer, it’s very tastefully done. Right off the bat, you’ll notice the Impul ‘Aerokit’ that comprises a front lip spoiler, side-skirts, rear bumper spoiler and wing spoiler on the roof. If that isn’t enough, bigger 17-inch Impul alloy wheels shod with 205/45 R17 GY Eagle F1 tyres, that actually ‘sit’ very nicely in the wheel arches, complete the external aggressive look.
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you if you think this version looks lower than the regular Livina, and that’s because it’s equipped with an Impul Sports Suspension system, which lowers the MPV by 25mm. Turn the ignition key and things get a bit more interesting. Hidden below the Livina is the Impul ‘Blast 2’ exhaust muffler, and while it’s not overly loud, it does emit a very noticeable ‘growl’ at start up, and when the engine is being given the beans.
Jumping from the regular Grand Livina to this Impul tuned one, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much, but boy was I wrong. This is surprising coming from me, but this Impul tuned Livina is an absolute hoot to drive. Not only is the sound of that muffler like cat-nip to the ears, the suspension feels totally sorted. It’s probably the most ‘chuckable’ MPV I’ve ever driven.
Coupled with the 17-inch alloys, the ride feels a lot more sure-footed and the steering – despite being an EPS unit – actually feels more direct and responsive. While the engine has not been touched, the sound emanating from the rear muffler makes it seem so. There must be some performance gain, perhaps the engine ‘breathes’ better, because this version does feel a lot quicker than the regular Lvina.
Hard as it may be to comprehend, I recall thinking – as I was hooning around and making an absolute nuisance of myself in this thing – that if ever I needed an MPV, for several factors that of course include my budget and its price, this Impul tuned Livina would be on the top of my list. It has all the space you’ll need (for now), the reliability and fuss-free nature of a Nissan, it looks good without being overly ostentatious, and it has just enough power and handling to keep things interesting when you find yourself alone at the wheel. Seriously, in a million years I never thought I’d ever say this about a Livina.
With prices starting from RM83,989.50 for the 1.6 manual, RM86,891.50 for the 1.6 auto and RM96,412 for the 1.8 auto (all retail prices without insurance) the Nissan Grand Livina should be on your shopping list if you’re looking for a MPV in this price range. And if you can stretch that budget by about RM15,000 (amortised over the loan period it should not make that much of a dent) I strongly suggest you go for the Livina Impul version, with all the bells and whistles; it’s quite amazing just how much fun you’ll have driving it.
