The Livina is manufactured in São José dos Pinhais in Paraná state, at a Renault-Nissan alliance facility, with 70 percent domestic content.
The Livina comes either with a DOHC 16-valve 1.6-liter, 102-horsepower Renault engine mated to a five-speed manual, or an optional aluminum 124-hp 1.8-liter mated to a four-speed automatic. So equipped, the little minivans get from zero to 60 mph in less than 11.7 and 10.7 seconds, respectively.
A manufacturer source told Inside Line that the global Livina suspension did not have to be raised, as is customary to accommodate Brazil's rough roads, because the minivan already boasts a 5.9-inch ground clearance. The Livina gets 14-inch wheels for the 1.6-liter model and 15-inchers on the 1.8-liter model. All versions come with air-conditioning, variable-assist steering, electronic throttle and folding rear seats. ABS brakes, foglamps and AM/FM radio with MP3 and iPod are fitted in the uplevel SL model only.
Prices range from $20,300-$24,650. A boost to buyers will be the cut in excise tax on FFVs, a government move instituted last December to boost sales. As such, the Livina is more favorably priced than the Honda Fit and Volkswagen Spacefox against which it will compete in Brazil. Nissan expects to sell 7,200 Livinas by year's end, increasing to 1,000 units monthly in 2010.
Inside Line says: About time Nissan got into the FFV game in this flex-fuel early-adopting country. — Bob Sharp, Correspondent
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