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The curious case of the Nissan Livina: A family hauler for any occasion

Here's a look into the case of the Nissan Livina in the Philippines, and where it fits in.

Earl Lee on Apr 24, 2023

The Nissan Livina was a darling of the media before it officially launched in the country, with a bunch of coverage that started swirling around when it was first spotted on Thai roads. From afar, it looks a lot like the Mitsubishi Xpander, but on second glance, you’ll notice some Nissan-like changes that make it just a little bit more enticing for die-hard Nissan design fans.

Apart from its linked history with the Xpander, it’s gone on to be a rather interesting model in the Philippine lineup of Nissan. It still has the Xpander’s winning formula of seven seats, lots of space, and many cubby holes, but let’s dive in a little bit more about the history and some facts about the Livina that might just surprise you.

Related: From 2019: Nissan’s newest MPV is actually a Mitsubishi

A bit of history

So it’s no secret that the Mitsubishi and Nissan are friends, no wait, great friends. The Japanese duo formed an alliance with the French brand, Renault a long time ago, and it was only after a while that we got an in-person look at the effects of that alliance. The Livina is a living testament to the strength of those three brands in tandem with each other, more so on the Nissan Mitsubishi side of things, however.

As a member of the alliance, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Renault shared platforms and technologies with each other among other things. The three brands have since come together to make products and to deliver the best of the best that they can deliver on their own or as a collective. The three are still separate entities from one another, with their own management and their own headquarters, and manufacturing facilities. However, it appears that Renault hasn’t badge-engineered the Xpander at this point in time. At least, not yet, or perhaps never. Only Nissan saw that the Xpander’s platform had the potential to help the brand grow, especially in soon-to-mature markets like the Philippines.

Equipped with seven seats and a renowned platform, we got the Livina

On September 6, 2022, the Nissan Livina was launched to the public in one of Nissan Philippines’ showrooms. The party was quite packed as many wanted to see what the seven-seater would look like in person. The model came at a starting launch price of just P1,029,000, which was interesting considering that Nissan started the price at just a hair over the million-Peso mark. At its highest trim level, the VL, the model commanded a price tag of P1,209,000.

For P1,200,000 and a bit of change, you would get a set of alloy wheels, a 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated gasoline engine with 103 hp and 141 Nm of torque mated to a four-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual if you opted for the base trim, and an array of features that is in keeping with the standards of its class like a touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity, four speakers for the infotainment to sing, and a bunch of safety features. While Nissan isn’t shy about its Intelligent Mobility suite of toys if its cars have it, the Livina gets all the bases covered with just ABS, Vehicle Dynamic Control for the VE and VL trims, Traction Control for the VE and VL, parking sensors, ISOFIX tethers for all models, an engine immobilizer, and an alarm function as standard.

The question of whether the Livina was enough for customers was a bit up in the air at the time of its launch. Because it was set on a tried-and-true platform in the country, it was still a consideration of many, but there was a bit of a problem with it because of this.

A little too late?

The Xpander had already made its rounds in the Philippines. It had already turned the segment inside out with its value proposition back in 2017 when it was first shown to the public and subsequently made available to the said public. The model had already won plenty of Filipino car buyers over but now that the Livina is here, is it a little too late?

Nissan has had a knack for being late to the party, just like what happened with the Terra. While the brand was the last of the Japanese big four to field a model, it was still well-received, and a ton of people liked it. Can the same story repeat with the Livina?

See, the problem is that the Xpander had already cornered the market, being number one on several occasions and becoming a household name. It had just enough features to entertain buyers and more than enough space to warrant a ton of interest. Though, how does Nissan’s take on the automobile stack up? To the old Xpander, quite well, to the new one, not so much.

The issue lies with the fact that Nissan is behind when it comes to the Xpander’s updates. Mitsubishi Philippines did a number of enhancements to its most popular model, so much so that it looks nothing like the old one. A few critics have lambasted the Xpander for being a little ugly in some angles, something that the Livina promptly fixed when Nissan came out with it in 2019. Mitsubishi fixed that as well, however, but what happened? Why is Nissan so late to the game with the Livina?

The COVID-19 Pandemic

One of the conversations that circulated around the media launch of the Livina was with regard to how late the model came to the country. Nissan Philippines stated that the model was supposed to come earlier, but the COVID-19 pandemic and all of its difficulties led the brand to a late launch, close to the launch of the updated Xpander. Trade and working restrictions didn’t allow Nissan to deliver the units to the country on time, and lost a lot of ground to the Xpander. If Nissan launched earlier, there would have been a shortage, so better late than never?

Apart from that, there was also a chip shortage following the rise of the pandemic, which further put a strain on Nissan’s production and its productivity as a whole. Unfortunately, while the Livina would have made for a good car in 2019 and 2020, it was a little late coming into the country in 2022. Sad to say, but the model is a bit dated.

What the Livina does right

Let’s stop dwelling on the negatives. This time around, it’s time for a more positive take on the Livina, as dated as it may be. Before, the problem with the Xpander was that it was too ghastly for some people. The Dynamic Shield design language was really a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing, and Nissan had set up the Livina to be a different take on the model, set up to appeal to those that liked the space and practicality of the Xpander, but without a face that could split the industry down the middle. The problem of lines being too sharp or too “xtreme” was quashed by Nissan designers. Sanding down the sharp edges and corners of the Xpander to create a more sedate MPV did wonders for the Livina, and we kinda dug the look of the Livina more compared to the original Xpander.

However, everything that we’ve come to appreciate with the Xpander stayed the same in the Livina’s interior. The expansive space, the numerous cubby holes, the countless storage holes, and the general livability of the model marked it as one of our more practical favorites in the Philippines. With the backbone of the Xpander, you could’ve considered the Livina to be the Xpander’s number-one rival back when the original Xpander was still out and about in the market.

However, now that the Livina isn’t quite a “new” model in the market, not many know where it fits in anymore.

So here is where the Livina fits in:

Look, there is no denying that it is a little dated by 2023 standards. With the Xpander all-new and ready with more features, the Livina is a little under-equipped to face its Mitsubishi rival. However, let’s look at it this way, there is now a gap in the market after a few other rivals have moved up in price.

Remember the Suzuki Ertiga? Before you could get an all-gasoline model for not much money, but now all of that has changed ever since Suzuki started offering mild-hybrids only in its lineup. Also, how about the other Chinese brands in the market? Several of them are more expensive compared to the Livina, and some may argue that they haven’t yet proven their reliability and durability while the Livina indirectly has. What about the Stargazer? Some people are still a little apprehensive about Korean brands, but we’ll probably be the first ones to tell you that it's worth giving a shot. Then Toyota still exists with the Avanza and Veloz which is more affordable, and on a new platform, but some would argue that the model isn’t too refined just yet. Still, there is the Xpander, which starts at P1,068,000 and tops out at P1,198,000, which is a little perplexing considering the base Livina is cheaper, but the top trim Livina is more expensive. It’s a bit of an odd placement in the market, but still just about in line with the rest of the competition.

See, Nissan still thought that it would be good to have the Livina on board because it served as a very conservative choice in the market. The model isn’t overmarketed by the brand, and the model isn’t overhyped. The model isn’t overly equipped either, which fits into the Filipino mentality of “many features, many things to break.” For conservative consumers who like conservative styling, who want a simple experience with all the practicality in tow, and who want the sedate styling of Nissan can still opt for the Livina. No frills aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Not a lot of consumers are super savvy about technology anyway, and a vast majority just want a practical car without having to think about anything breaking. On top of that, it’s got a proven platform that’s surprisingly comfortable, competent, and cooperative to most Filipinos’ daily lives so it’s not too bad if all you expect from it is a workable infotainment system, basic features, and style that’s not over the top. If you feel very strongly about the Livina’s design, by all means, get it. If Nissan is able to get you a good deal on the model then why not? The thing is, the Livina wouldn’t be our first choice, it’s a respectable choice so long as you know what you’re getting and if you get it for a great price. Also, for people who liked the previous generation Xpander better than the new one, the Livina fits that mold, albeit doing so with a Nissan badge and none of the Dynamic Shield design on the outside. Love-it-or-hate-it, the Livina’s a committed model in the lineup now, and we’re also interested to see how far Nissan will take this model in the future.