Then along came the Toyota Avanza and the Toyota Innova, but these were body-on-frame rear wheel drive designs, which were easy to design and provided good economies of scale because of platform sharing truck based design, comfort levels are not as high as they should be.
Front wheel drive driving dynamics also mean it is relatively somewhat safer as most people are used to how a car handles when it is front wheel drive rather than rear wheel drive. A car-based chassis also means a lower center of gravity compared to it’s competitors. If you want to see what I mean, just compare the Toyota Innova to the Toyota Wish. Both are 7-seaters of similiar size, yet one is so tall, as if the Innova body was built on top of a generic frame, while the Wish is close to the ground, and looks like the whole body has been designed together with the chassis. The Grand Livina’s chassis is shared with other compact Renault-Nissan vehicles such as the Nissan Note, Renault Clio, and Nissan March.
Two engine options are available, the HR15DE (109hp at 6,000rpm, 148Nm at 4,400rpm) and the MR18DE (128hp at 5,500rpm, 174Nm at 4,800rpm), both now with CVTC Variable Valve Timing. The MR18DE comes with with a 6-speed manual or a 4-speed auto, while the HR15DE’s gearbox offering is similiar except the manual only has 5 cogs.
Based on paper specs alone, the Nissan Grand Livina looks like a much better choice than a Toyota Avanza or a Naza Citra, but let’s see how it really performs once it arrives on Malaysian shores with whatever specs Tan Chong decides to fit it with. For those who always desire a little bit more, you’ll be pleased to know that a bolt-on Impul supercharger for the HR15DE is already available, and will boost power up to 144 horsepower.
Nissan Grand Livina
Nissan Grand Livina
Nissan Grand Livina
Nissan Grand Livina
Nissan Grand Livina
