Nissan GRAND LIVINA facelift introduced – from RM87k

 

The latest Nissan Grand Livina facelift has landed in Malaysia, introducing a timely update for the

country’s best-selling non-national MPV. Over 65,000 units of the 7-seater have been sold here since its initial launch in 2007, including the lightly revised version that was released in 2011.

This second facelift is a major one, at least in terms of aesthetics. While the previous nip and tuck only added a new grille design and wing mirror indicators to the otherwise unchanged original form, the Grand Livina undergoes a heavy refresher here, incorporating “more than 50 new enhancements,” according to Nissan.

The most obvious of which are the completely new front and rear ends. Gone is the simple, blunt, yet friendly face that’s all too familiar by now, replaced by a much sleeker front treatment. A V-shaped grille with chrome highlights now dominate the front fascia, and is flanked by new headlamp units that are much sharper and classier than before.

 

The bumper is brand new too, now looking shapelier and more organic, in line with the characterful profile and rounded front fenders that house new design 15-inch wheels. The reshaped wheel-arches significantly change the visual silhouette of the vehicle, introducing a more complex character line compared to the older model.

 

Adding to the sophistication are new wing mirrors with LED indicators (for 1.8 litre) and body-coloured side mouldings running across the doors. The latter provides protection from minor dings, while also serving to break up the visual mass, making the whole car appear closer to the ground and more planted.

There are more changes to the back than is obviously apparent, too. The light clusters now sit horizontally rather than vertically, emphasising the Grand Livina’s width. Easily missed is the new tailgate, which eschews the round bulge above the Nissan crest, with the rear wiper now sitting within the window panel.



Inside, the colour palette has been changed again. The original Grand Livina launched with a grey/beige interior, which was then replaced by an all-black cabin in the 2011 update. A nice middle ground has been chosen for the latest model – a black upper portion for a younger, sportier feel, with a cream lower half to aid the impression of space and airiness.

All new is the 3-spoke steering wheel, similar to the one used in the more upmarket new Sylphy. It incorporates multi-function controls too, with backlit buttons for the audio system and instrument display. Speaking of the instrumentation, there’s now a Fine Vision Cluster on all models, as seen on top-spec Almeras.

Another premium feature offered is Nissan’s i-Key keyless entry and engine start system. Available on the 1.8 litre model, it adds lock/unlock buttons on the driver’s and rear doors for a seamless, keyless operation, while a small plastic turn switch is placed over the usual keyhole to start the engine.

Standard across the range is a revised seat fabric – in beige rather than black this time. Leather upholstery (beige or black) is available as an option. 

As before, Nissan claims best-in-class comfort for the 7-seat cabin. The last 2 rows can be folded flat if needed, opening up a spacious cargo area and making the Grand Livina truly worthy of the term Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV). The rearmost seats have a single-action release for easy access.

The drivetrain options have been left well alone. The tested all-aluminium HR16DE 1.6 litre engine with 105 PS and 150 Nm of torque forms the base offerings, with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission to pick from. The MR18DE 1.8 litre motor is available with a four-speed torque converter.

Safety-wise, the new Nissan Grand Livina has been upgraded with seat-belt pre-tensioners and load limiters for the front passengers, along with compliance with the latest UNECE crash test regulations. Dual front airbags are standard, along with Nissan’s Zone Body Construction, collapsible steering wheel, EBD, BA and ABS.

3 variants are offered: 1.6 litre manual for RM86,880, 1.6 litre auto at RM89,880, topping out at RM99,880 for the 1.8 litre automatic model. All figures quoted are on-the-road prices, inclusive of insurance. Order books are already open for the new Nissan Grand Livina facelift, with monthly instalment rates as low as RM599 to be had.

 

That’s not the end of it though, as there are various optional accessories and Impul packages available for the new MPV. For an extra RM4,000 (on the 1.6L, RM3,700 for the 1.8L), the Navi Package adds on a LED kicking plate, LED wing mirror signals and door visors.

An integrated 6.5-inch multimedia system with navigation, rear-view camera, DVD player and USB, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity is also included in the Navi Package, as is a 10.1-inch roof-mounted LCD panel for the rear passengers.

Next up, the RM3,800 (for 1.6L, 1.8L RM3,500) Luxury Package replaces the above-mentioned head-unit and rear screen with a combination leather upholstery and door panels (available in beige or black), as well as Solar Gard window tinting (upgradeable to V-Kool Elite for another RM1,500).

The Family Package combines the Navi and Luxury packages for RM7,000 for the 1.6 litre models, and RM6,700 on the 1.8 litre variant. LED wing mirror signal repeaters are already fitted as standard on the range-topper, which accounts for the model’s lower prices for each optional package.

If you like a little more zing on your Grand Livina, there are also various Impul add-ons that you can specify. These are: Impul complete aerokit (RM3,500), sports suspension system (RM2,800), Blast 2 exhaust muffler (RM1,800) plus 17-inch Impul Aura SX-20 alloys (RM4,500) and Goodyear Eagle F1 Directional 5 tyres to go with them (RM1,800).

Edaran Tan Chong Motor offers a standard 3-year or 100,000 km warranty on the new Nissan Grand Livina facelift. 5 colour options are available: Graphite Blue, Diamond Black, Bronze Gold, Brilliant White and Tungsten Silver.

 

Pimp My Almera contest enters FB stage, public votes

The first phase of Nissan’s “Pimp My Almera” contest recently drew to a close as participants from three design colleges were selected to represent their institutions.

Representatives from Edaran Tan Chong Malaysia (ETCM) and local fashion editor Miranda Yeoh visited Dasein Academy of Art, Saito College and IACT College to shortlist the submissions and choose one winner from each college. Each won RM5,000 and are in the running for the grand prize of RM20,000.

“I was impressed with the creativity portrayed in most of the entries. It was quite a tough decision for us to make initially, as art and design are very subjective matters. We are looking forward with great anticipation to the final outcome of the ‘pimped up’ Nissan Almera,” said Tan Keng Meng, ETCM’s executive director of marketing and product planning.

The three chosen entries have been posted on Nissan Malaysia’s Facebook page, allowing the public to vote for their favourite design. The winner gets RM20k and will see his/her creative vision realised on an actual Nissan Almera that will be displayed at KLIMS13. One like is one vote, and each FB account is allowed to vote for one design once every 24 hours. Voting ends on October 12.

Production of new Nissan Note starts in Sunderland

Nissan recently celebrated the start of production of the new Nissan Note at its Sunderland plant. Already the UK’s biggest ever car plant, the new Note is set to boost production even further in the country’s North East following a £125m investment by Nissan, secured for the UK with a £9.3m grant from the UK Government’s Regional Growth Fund. The plant is also preparing to roll out Infinitis, starting with a compact model.

In addition to vehicle assembly, the new Note has brought additional work to Sunderland and its supply chain in axle production, cylinder head casting, camshaft machining and engine assembly. In total, the new Note is responsible for 2,000 new jobs in the UK car industry, including 400 staff at Nissan’s workforce at Sunderland, taking the number of British jobs supported by Nissan to more than 35,000.

Tailored for European buyers, Nissan says that the new Note has benefited from extensive European development, with engineering and development work completed at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in both UK and Spain.



Available in Visia, Acenta and Tekna variants in the UK, the new Note will get two 1.2 litre 3-cylinder petrols (80 PS/110 Nm and 98 PS/142 Nm, the latter supercharged) and a Renault-sourced 1.5 litre turbo diesel that emits 95 grams of CO2 per km and returns 3.6 litres per 100 km.

Making its debut on the top-spec Tekna version is Nissan’s Safety Shield bundle of systems, comprising Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Moving Object Detection. MOD works with Around View Monitor to enhance the driver’s field of vision. When the system detects something (or someone) moving behind the car, an audible and visual alert is given.

Around View Monitor combines the feeds from cameras mounted on the front grille, tailgate and both door mirrors to project an overhead 360-degree helicopter view of the car and its surroundings. The camera image is constantly scanned for dirt and if need be, a jet of water and then compressed air is fired at the lens to clean and dry it.

Shown for the first time at this year’s Geneva show, the B-segment hatchback has already caught the attention of customers, with Nissan dealers across Europe taking more than 14,000 pre-orders since order books opened in July.

Tan Chong to begin assembling Nissans in Myanmar

Nissan is planning to start production of small passenger cars and pickup trucks in Myanmar, adding to its recent expansion in Vietnam, reports indicate. The automaker is looking at building several thousand vehicles annually through a partnership with Tan Chong Motor Holdings, which will construct an assembly plant in the country through an affiliate company.

In July, it was reported that Nissan had given Tan Chong sole and exclusive rights to distribute CBU Nissan vehicles in the country. At present, a sales and service centre has been opened in Yangon, and is selling imported pickups and large commercial vans.

The earlier report added that distribution of Nissan cars in the emerging market was expected to commence in the third quarter of 2013, with projected sales volume of about 300 units per year.
When it arrives, the Myanmar assembly facility will expand Tan Chong’s production presence in Indochina – the group opened its first international assembly plant in Da Nang, Vietnam, back in June. The TCIE Vietnam plant, which has an annual production capacity of 6,500 vehicles, builds the Nissan Sunny (the Almera in Malaysia) for domestic consumption.

Nissan isn’t the first automaker to assemble vehicles in Myanmar. Chery Automobile is already assembling small cars there, and both Suzuki and Tata – which launched its Nano compact there in May – are building small trucks in the country.

Nissan 370Z successor to be previewed in Tokyo

The Tokyo show in November could welcome a concept that previews the successor to the Nissan 370Z sports car, according to an Autocar UK report. At the ongoing Frankfurt show, Nissan development boss Andy Palmer told the publication that the actual car would be powered by a downsized, turbocharged engine.

The smaller, blown motor won’t produce less power than the 324 hp currently made by the naturally-aspirated 3.7 litre V6, thankfully. Moreover, the seventh-gen Z-car is set to be “smaller and lighter” than the current one, which could only be good news as far as driving is concerned. And yes, there will be a Nismo-tuned version soon enough.

The Tokyo-bound concept, however, could be electric-powered, says the report. Although the production car will be petrol-powered, future electric versions are not unlikely.



“The traditional sleek sports car is nice but not the market I want to address. I want to address the issue of a next-generation sports car,” Autocar UK quoted Palmer as saying. We can’t wait to see how un-traditional a Z-car can get.

Since the Nissan 370Z took over from the Nissan 350Z in 2009, there have been roadster, Nismo and numerous special editions. The sports car features Synchro Rev Match – the world’s first synchronised downshift rev-matching system on a manual gearbox.

A minor facelift happened in 2012, giving the vehicle LED DRLs, a mildly restyled front bumper and new 19-inch alloys for the GT trim. A Nismo version followed, while Continental sales for the regular 370Z facelift began earlier this year.

Barcelona to use Nissan e-NV200 electric taxi cabs

Barcelona will be the first city in the world to implement a zero-emission taxi fleet. The vehicle of choice is the Nissan e-NV200 electric van, unveiled in full Barcelonian taxi livery in Frankfurt by Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn and the Mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias.

The Catalan city will lead the global rollout of the all-electric vehicle based on the NV200 van in 2014, which will then be introduced in other big cities around the world as taxis and delivery vehicles. Not so coincidentally, the e-NV200 will be built solely at a factory located in the Zona Franca in Barcelona, and is to be exported worldwide.

First shown at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, UK last April, the e-NV200 uses the electric drivetrain package from the Nissan LEAF. Compared to the standard NV200 van, it has received a visual overhaul both on the exterior and interior, both of which have been directly influenced by the donor electric car.



Nissan and the City of Barcelona will work together to complete the new charging infrastructure required. Nissan-designed quick chargers, which can recharge compatible electric vehicles from 0-80% charge in just 30 minutes, will be installed across the city to create a network for taxi drivers and EV users to quickly “refuel”.

Elsewhere, the petrol-powered Nissan NV200 “Taxi of Tomorrow” will soon be New York City’s taxi of today, replacing the ageing Ford Crown Victoria yellow cabs. Over in the UK, a modified NV200 London Taxi with a diesel engine is destined to succeed the iconic LTC black cabs, pending a final redesign approval. Looks like Nissan is eyeing world taxi domination in the near future.

Closer to home meanwhile, the Nissan NV200 is available through official distributor Edaran Tan Chong Motor in full panel or semi panel commercial van forms. The passenger-oriented window van version of the NV200, known as the Nissan Evalia, could make its way to Malaysia too, as a registered example has been spotted here just last week.

Nissan X-Trail – third-gen breaks cover in Frankfurt

The Nissan X-Trail (Rogue in the US) enters its third generation at the ongoing Frankfurt show. Looking more sophisticated than its largely right-angled predecessor, the new Nissan X-Trail derives its softer lines and urban crossover looks from existing models such as the Qashqai, Juke and Murano, as well as the 2012 Hi-Cross Concept, of which it certainly hasn’t strayed far from in terms of design.

Interesting aesthetic details include C-shaped tail lamps, LED DRLs and a stylish D-pillar kink. LED headlamps are offered on higher trims, and 19-inch alloys lend an imposing look. Underpinning the vehicle is the Common Module Family (CMF) platform.

The new cabin boasts chrome, geometric metallic and piano black finishes. Options include a cloth fabric covering and a full leather offering with contrasting stitch accents, and if five seats aren’t enough, you can specify two more.



The rear doors open to almost 90 degrees, and a longer wheelbase (Nissan hasn’t yet revealed by how much), plus more sculpted seat backs, give the middle row seats (which slide and recline) more knee room.

A 5-inch colour TFT screen sits between the rev counter and speedometer, packing no fewer than 12 graphic displays to jog through. Information displayed includes average and actual speeds, navigation turn-by-turn instructions, audio content, traffic sign recognition, eco driving advice and torque distribution settings in 4WD mode.

Access the boot via a remote power tailgate and you’ll find a double load floor that divides the cargo area into upper and lower areas. This allows it to hold up to 10 kg of luggage in its topmost position and 75 kg in its bottom position.



On to tech – the new Nissan X-Trail gets the latest-gen NissanConnect seven-inch colour touchscreen in-car navigation and infotainment system, plus the Nissan Safety Shield suite of driving aids. NissanConnect now offers smartphone connectivity, in addition to a range of apps covering music, social networking, entertainment and travel.

Navigation relies on Google to provide information from weather forecasts to the location of fuel stations, hotels, restaurants and the like. The send-to-car function allows drivers to plan a trip at home and send it to their car at the push of a button. Needless to say, there’s Bluetooth audio streaming, USB and AUX compatibility.

The third-gen Nissan X-Trail also gets Active Ride Control, Active Engine Brake and Active Trace Control. Active Ride Control detects extreme road surface undulations and alters the damping to compensate. Active Engine Brake tells the Xtronic CVT to add a degree of engine braking when cornering or coming to a stop. Active Trace Control (previously only found on the Infiniti M) brakes individual wheels during hard cornering to cut understeer.



The electronic four-wheel drive system, Nissan’s ALL MODE 4x4i, offers 2WD, Auto or Lock modes, selectable through a centre console-mounted dial. Uphill Start Support and Advance Hill Descent Control are also on the menu.

Although the new Nissan X-Trail has a larger surface area than the outgoing car, Nissan says weight has been reduced wherever possible. A mostly plastic tailgate saves 7 kg, for instance. Aerodynamics have also benefited from carefully shaped door mirrors as well as a spoiler that covers the exhaust box and rear panel.

Nissan will release powertrain and trim details closer to the start of European sales next July.

Nissan Nismo Watch Concept unveiled and detailed

            

Here’s a Frankfurt show concept that’s a little bit different. This is the Nissan Nismo Watch Concept, a smartwatch concept that connects Nismo drivers to their cars. The Japanese carmaker deems this its first step into “wearable technology.”

The Nissan Nismo Watch Concept features a heart rate monitor to capture biometric data, which will help “Nismo Athletes” enhance their performance. Connect it to the car via Bluetooth Low Energy and information such as fuel consumption, average speed, vehicle telematics and performance data can be had – pretty handy if you had a car that could do 0-100 km/h in two seconds.

In addition, the watch also tracks the user’s social performance across Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram through Nissan’s proprietary Social Speed software.

 

Carrying a lithium battery, the watch can be charged by micro-USB, with a battery life of over 7 days under normal usage. The packaging has been made using tyres and rubber from the racetrack. 3colours are available – black, white and the flagship black and red.



Earlier this year, Nissan launched the Nismo Lab – a mobile laboratory with biometric training tools such as brainwave technology and a performance analysis tool called JukeRide that records biometric and telematics data live from the race cars and their drivers during races.

Nismo intends to make these technologies available to athletes from other disciplines, as well as to Nissan owners through future wearable tech. Technologies marked for future development include ECG to measure heart rate variability and identify early fatigue, EEG Brainwave to monitor concentration and emotion levels, and Skin Temperature to record core body temperature and hydration levels.

Nissan trademarks ‘R-Hybrid’ – for next-gen GT-R?

Nissan has filed a trademark application for the ‘R-Hybrid’ badge, and it could be used for the next-gen Nissan GT-R, says Car and Driver. The US publication noticed that the standalone letter ‘R’ is in exactly the same typeface as that used on the legendary rear-wheel drive sports car’s boot lid badge.

C&D adds that the SE-R badge, seen on hot versions of the Sentra and Altima in the US, uses a different font for its ‘R,’ ruling out a new Sentra SE-R or Altima SE-R as possible recipients of this new emblem. Indeed, we can’t think of any other Nissan model that uses the same typeface as the ‘R’ in ‘GT-R.’



Therefore, unless Nissan is planning a new hybrid model (a wheeled reply to the recently-revealed Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R concept, or a future production version of that concept, perhaps?), this suggests that the next-gen Nissan GT-R – due in 2016 – could be a hybrid, which is neither shocking, impossible nor unlikely.

After all, reports have speculated that the future successor to the Toyota Supra – the Nissan GT-R’s old adversary – is set to be a hybrid. So if a new Supra concept is slated to appear at this year’s Tokyo motor show, will we see the ‘R-Hybrid’ badge on a new Nissan GT-R concept there?
Sigh, if only we had Holmes’ powers of deduction.

Star Wars-themed Nissan Juke Personalized Package

The Star Wars-themed Juke teased last week has been shown in full in Japan, where it’s named the Nissan Juke Personalized Package. It’s a rather underwhelming reveal, as there’s not much Star Wars in it at all, other than the Stormtroopers used in the marketing campaign.

Only in Japan, there’s now a new customisation programme available on the Juke. Check out the online configurator here, which includes interactive 3D models of the vehicle and a Stormtrooper. The latter changes colour according to the former’s colour and detail options, so it’s worth a look.

Built to commemorate the new campaign, the Juke 15RX Personalized Package boasts contrasting sport stripes, wing mirror covers, foglamp surrounds and rear deck wing. The special edition is available exclusively in Passion Red or Night Veil Purple, along with a colour-coded interior.

The TV commercial above shows a red Nissan Juke Personalize Package driving through a sea of plain white Stormtroopers, and ends with a bunch of the soldiers painting their armour red with white stripes, as ‘inspired’ by the crossover. Amusing.