Yes, it’s true, a Nissan 4 door wagon for just RM82,800 in showrooms today. Tan Chong has just launched the Livina X-Gear which is a shortened version of the Grand Livina 7 seater. Nissan engineers have taken the Grand Livina platform and shortened it, added in a firmer suspension, tacked on SUV looking accessories on the exterior and raised the ride height to give middle class Malaysians a SUV/Crossover product that is very easy on the pocket.
Using SUV elements of working roof rails, black wheel arches and door sill protectors, the X-Gear pulls off the Crossover look with just the large rims and broad tires missing. This can be added in later as most would appreciate the reasonable selling price which is what Nissan is primarily targeting for.
Current Proton and Perodua owners looking for an upgrade in badge bragging rights without hurting monthly installments will be the 1st choice of customers. Next up will be car owners of older cars looking for Nissan reliability and dependability at an easy buy. Finally, the young, chic, urban driver….male or female…..looking for a fun lifestyle vehicle that will not hurt their new clothes and eating our budget. The X-Gear delivers to all 3 segments and some.
Inside you get a neat and simple cabin like in the Grand Livina. There is a deep glove box that will swallow 4 water bottles or a couple of wine bottles. The back row folds in a 60:40 split to transport lengthy items and increases cargo space from 383 liters to 769 liters.
We liked the rear cargo area floor which was recessed down a few inches to allow for easy loading and unloading. Hypermarket grocery shopping will be easy. Simple and functional, it comes with electric windows, decent air conditioning and an in-dash radio 6 CD front loading audio system with an AUX input for all your portable devices to be plugged in for instant use.
Under the hood is Nissan’s tried and tested 105hp 1.6-litre engine is good for 153Nm of torque which works better in the X-Gear than in the 1.6-liter Grand Livina as the X-Gear is some 100 kilos lighter. It drives nicely reaching speeds of 150kmh with ease. To reach 180km/h takes a while and the Conti tires don’t help. The 4-speed gearbox is a simple affair and does the job well.
The ride is surprisingly comfortable while taking corners firmly and without any fuss. Have a look for yourself and decide if the X-Gear is the Crossover for you. Near rivals would be the Mitsubishi ASX and Peugeot 3008 which cost some RM60,000 (both are 2-wheel drive crossovers with only more power and not much else) more to purchase and offer little more in terms of real value.
