FULL REVIEW: 2023 Nissan Livina VE AT - A sensible spin-off

The first-generation Nissan Livina was part of the initial Asian Utility Vehicle (AUV) boom in the country in the mid-2000s.

It joined the likes of the Toyota Innova, Mitsubishi Adventure, and other vehicles that filled that niche.

However, this first iteration didn’t last long. It was removed from the brand’s local lineup in the early 2010s, with its rivals advancing to a newer generation with better technology.

Fast forward to 2023, and the Nissan Livina has returned with its second generation. While it's no longer on an all-original platform, it's still a great spin-off of the Mitsubishi Xpander.

After all, Nissan and Mitsubsihi are in an alliance with one another, which grants them access to sharing technology and platforms. While this alliance isn’t necessarily bad, as it can save money, it becomes challenging to distinguish shared models between two or more brands.

That said, we will look at the 2023 Nissan Livina to see if it's a worthy buy or if its Xpander counterpart is still the one to choose.

A Nissan-styled exterior

Nissan has tried hard to give the Livina a unique look by adding its V-motion design language to the MPV. Its front fascia, grille, rear bumper, and taillights have been given Nissan design cues.

However, you can't escape the fact that this Nissan MPV is still an Xpander underneath, as it retains the same body shape and size as its twin.

On the sides, the Livina retains the same smooth and clean body lines as its twin, with a dominant belt line that extends from the front fender to the rear. 

Speaking of the rear, it still resembles its twin with its L-shaped LED taillights. However, these taillights have been redesigned with the V-motion design language, as the LED strips form a sideways V-shape. 

Aside from this, the Livina gets a new bumper with two large faux diffusers. 

Overall, the design of the Nissan MPV makes a decent attempt to distinguish it from its Mitsubishi counterpart, but the final render does make it look like a hamster from the front. While they use the same body, the Nissan design language is evident and gives the Livina a more distinctive look. 

It doesn’t help that, unlike its Mitsubishi brother, the Livina has halogen headlights instead of LEDs, even for its top-of-the-line variant. For this, the mid-level VE variant is forgivable as you don’t expect to get all the bells and whistles. 

We just wished that the automaker had done away with the halogen headlights and opted for LEDs, at least for the VE variant and up.

A practical cabin

Once you enter the Nissan Livina, you are greeted by the interior of the 2019 Xpander. It's hard not to mention the Mitsubishi twin, as most bits and pieces are the same in both vehicles. 

You get its sloping dashboard design accented by faux leather plastics and a faux woodgrain panel on the passenger side. These accents and plastics reminded us much about the Toyota Rush and how its interior was laid out.

It is functional, but you can tell that it was built to a price point with premium materials used sparingly. Even the dashboard material is made from sturdy yet rough plastics, echoing a more practical theme. 

However, piano black plastics are present in the center console and dashboard of the MPV, particularly near the gear shifter and the climate controls. While these plastics are pleasing to look at, they scratch easily, which reduces their appeal over time.

As this is the mid-variant VE model, don’t expect leather seats; you get brown cloth fabric matching the cabin's accent colors.

These seats are comfortable and supportive, with the padding being just proper to support your lower back and butt yet stiff enough, so you don’t wiggle about while driving. They resemble the zero-gravity seats of the Nissan Navara in both feel and support, which is something we appreciate about this MPV.

Cold but harsh air conditioning

You might assume that since this is a Nissan vehicle, its air conditioning system would be ice cold. While you are not wrong in that assumption, a check of the engine bay revealed that the A/C system uses parts from Mitsubishi. So, it's not 100% Nissan's famously cold air conditioning system. 

It is just as cold as you'd think a Nissan should be, but it could be smoother in how it cools the cabin, and it's more aggressive than it is suave. The cooling ramps up quickly with just the front fans on, but once rear vents come into play, it becomes quite cold. You may have to wear a jacket if you set the climate controls to the coldest setting.

Aged technology

Despite its relatively "familiar" interior, the main flaw in the Nissan Livina is its infotainment system. While it comes with a 7-inch Blaupunkt head unit, the technology it brings is old and is behind the competition in terms of connectivity.

There is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto support available for the vehicle, which puts it behind its competition as they have this feature available as standard. The Livina does come with Bluetooth connectivity which works well and quickly pairs with your phone.

The Nissan MPV also has a screen mirroring function that does not work on newer Android devices but works with Apple smartphones. Its execution could be better as we encountered problems using Waze and Google maps when using this feature, and it also has issues rotating the display of an Apple phone.

If Nissan Philippines wants Livina to be a serious contender in the MPV segment, it must upgrade the head unit to at least support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

The absence of this feature in 2023 makes the vehicle feel like it came from the early 2015s, which is not a good thing for a rapidly evolving market.

Plenty of storage spaces

Practicality is the game's name with the Nissan Livina VE, as there are plenty of storage spaces in and around the cabin. 

These storage spaces can be found in the door cards, center console, and dashboard. There are also small spaces for storage in the third row with cupholders on either side.

At the back, an adjustable floor can be opened up to reveal more sectionalized cubby holes that are big enough to fit shoes and much more. 

Decent comfort

Space is what you would expect from vehicles of its segment. It's tight when fully loaded but spacious enough if you are not utilizing the third row. 

The seats are supportive as they almost cradle you while you sit down. The cushion is excellent as it is neither too hard nor too soft. It’s like the Goldilocks of MPV comfort - just right and comfortable enough for long trips.

We noticed that the height adjustment of the driver’s seat would tilt the cushioning downwards instead of lowering the whole chair. The result is that while your seating position goes down, your thighs end up resting on the bottom cushion, making driving a bit uncomfortable. It's excellent thigh support, but not everyone may like it. 

Comfort is decent in the second row despite the space limitation. The seats can be moved forward or backward if you want to be nice to the people in the third row. These seats also fold and tumble for easier access to the third row.

The third row's space is tight and best suited for children or smaller adults. The seat backrests can be tilted back. However, the legroom remains tight if you push the second row forward. 

Regarding ride comfort, the MPV tends to wallow over bumps and road imperfections. It's not bad, as none of these unwanted vibrations make their way into the cabin, so you can tell that the suspension is performing properly.

Overall comfort is decent in terms of how the seats and suspension absorb road imperfections, but space is the only downside, as it can get tight for larger adults. 

Average Safety

Nissan Philippines is playing it safe with the safety features available with the VE variant of the MPV.

This model does come with a reverse camera and reverse sensors, but there is a catch. The resolution of the camera is too dark. In bright conditions, you will barely see any details on the screen rendering the camera useless. 

The same issue is also present at night; even in a well-lit area, the color disappears from the display, leaving you with a black-and-white image with only the colored guidelines as your markers.

The reverse sensors work well, as they only begin to panic when there is not enough room to open the tailgate. This is a nice feature as it leaves room to access the rear. 

Decent power and an old transmission

Under the hood, the Nissan Livina is powered by a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder, 16-valve naturally aspirated gasoline engine, and it pushes out 105 PS and 141 Nm of torque to a four-speed automatic transmission. 

Power is adequate with the drivetrain leaving you wanting more when getting the MPV to accelerate. This lack of horsepower and torque becomes even more evident when fully loaded as the Livina takes its time to run up to highway speeds. 

Once you get going, it's smooth sailing as the revs are kept low. Cruising is where the Livina excels, as it can easily maintain highway speeds without any issues. You must remember to give yourself more room when overtaking as the MPV takes its time gaining momentum.

A frugal engine with satisfactory fuel economy

The Nissan Livina delivers average numbers in terms of fuel economy. In the city, it can do about 7 to 10 km/l in heavy to light traffic. On the highway, it can travel between 15 to 18 km/l when cruising from 80 to 100 km/h.

Its four-speed automatic transmission may be older technology, but the way the gears are spaced out makes it ideal for highway cruising. You may not have the power to overtake quickly, but it's enough to maintain cruising speed with decent acceleration.

We could travel around 300 kilometers on a single tank of gas before we had to refuel the MPV. It's decent mileage, especially for a car of its size that has a 45-liter tank.

Is the Livina worth it?

The Nissan Livina VE lives in a unique niche of the MPV segment in the Philippines. It has a price of ₱1,149,000 for the VE AT variant, which puts it at only ₱49,000 from the top-of-the-line Mitsubishi cXpander.

While we understand that ₱49,000 can mean a lot to those on a tight budget, spending that much more is well worth the cost in terms of what you get. Conversely, an Xpander GLX AT will cost you less and comes with a similar feature set. 

There are other options to consider at this price point, such as the Suzuki XL7, Suzuki Ertiga, and Toyota Avanza, each with a similar, if not better, range of features.

So, who is the Nissan Livina for?

Our experience with the vehicle made us realize that the Livina is for the customer who wants a versatile seven-seater without the Dynamic Shield design language. It's for those who want a reliable point A to-point B machine to get you to your destination in comfort.  It can also be for fans of the brand.

The fact is that the Nissan Livina has a hill to climb if it wants to be on top of the MPV segment. While its current spec sheet isn’t impressive yet, we suspect that Nissan Philippines will make its next face-lift a force to be reckoned with once it arrives.

It may not be dressed to impress just yet. Still, like a caterpillar metamorphosing into a beautiful butterfly in time, the Nissan MPV will impress buyers in its next stage of evolution. 

Let us know if you like this review or if there are other details about the Nissan Livina you would want us to write about.