CAR FEATURE: NISSAN ELGRAND
Among the various sizes of minvans that roam the streets of Japan the Nissan Elgrand has always been the one that appealed to me the most. Nissan has always described it as the "King of Minivan," sitting at the top of the premium van market with only the Toyota Alphard as a direct competitor. Despite being a big toaster on wheels, it always got the nod from car guys. Those with expanding families didn't need to sell out completely when trading in the sports car for a people mover, the Elgrand always allowed them to retain their bragging rights, packing a powerful 3.5L V6 engine and rear wheel drive. And in case the insults from friends continue you could always tell them that pro-driver Nobuteru Taniguchi drives one! The Elgrand has been a favorite in the JDM vanning culture, often seen wearing aftermarket bodykits and stanced accordingly. But we now have to ask ourselves, is all this about to change?
You see after a great 8-year stint the second generation of the Elgrand, the E51, has now been replaced with the all-new E52. Key differences are more compact dimensions, a more station-wagon-like silhouette and more importantly a new platform, which it shares with the USDM Nissan Quest. This obviously, and very disappointedly for many existing Elgrand owners, means a move to a front wheel drive layout. This choice could potentially ruin the unique appeal it has always had...
...so to find out I borrowed a fully loaded Highway Star model from Nissan.
Aside from a distant chirp from the front wheels (4WD is optional) when accelerating aggressively off the line, the move to front wheel drive is almost imperceptible compared to the RWD E51. The chassis is so much stiffer and suspension so well developed that the Elgrand seems to be such an improvement you quickly forget that it's no longer driven via the rear wheels. Plus it's not like you are going to be flinging a two-ton van around the corners right? You quickly begin to let it do its thing, gracefully waft over minor road imperfections as...
...the 276 HP 3.5 L V6 from the Z33 supplies ample pulling power. I'm a little surprised that Nissan are still using the VQ30DE on the new Elgrand, now that the far superior VQ37 is available. A little bit of cost cutting going on there obviously. But the most disappointing thing for me has to be the adoption of a CVT transmission, one of the most annoying ways to get drive from an engine to the wheels. Step on the gas and the revs rise high and stick there until you begin to back off, making the big Elgrand sound something resembling a scooter. This will single handedly kill any sort of enthusiasm you may have about driving fast! Driven gently however the CVT almost becomes unnoticeable as it tries to keep rpm as low as possible for better fuel economy.
The Highway Star Premium model...
...comes with a nice set of 18-inch wheels running on high-profile low-rolling resistance 225/55R18 Yokohamas.
To judge the Elgrand on it's mechanical abilities, or shortcomings, would be beside the point as it's once you hit the switch on one of the two automatically sliding rear doors, that this big luxurious van begins to make sense. The Quest's platform has allowed for a completely flat floor, which maximizes space for occupants. The 7-seat arrangement is as comfortable as it gets with these first-class rivaling adjustable chairs...
...and leg supports. This is where your occupants can relax during those long drives, or when you need to tackle those 30-mile traffic jams on Sunday night when driving back into Tokyo.
The dashboard and trim is on par with Infiniti models but plastics do get a little cheaper on the lower door trims.
The main instrumentation is nothing to write home about, it's simple and to the point with all the information of the trip computer displayed via the little LCD screen within the speedometer. The blue illumination around the dials does look pretty cool at night.
Like all Nissan and Infiniti models the large navigation screen is perfectly located for easy consultation and you can fiddle with it via the buttons in front of it, by touching the screen or via voice recognition.
The center console houses the controls for the powerful Bose audio and video surround sound system as well as the A/C, which comes with a special ionizer that eliminates nasty odors and keeps the air nice and fresh. The shifter position might look a little awkward but it's just where you want it for easy access.
I was shocked at the amount of cup-holders; I think I counted something like 18 in total!
Oh, two more!
Rear seat passengers, while sitting on those comfortable leather sofas, can enjoy their own visual entertainment, all controlled via a separate remote control. Rear A/C is also adjusted separately from the front.
How about this for a gadget. To help the driver keep an eye on his passengers, he can quickly glance at them on the wide-angle pop-down mirror located on top of the regular back mirror.
A big impressive feature is the electrically foldable third row of seats which creates a nice wide and flat loading area, perfect to stuff full of spare wheels and tires when using the Elgrand as a support vehicle for a drift or grip track day!
So there you have it, the King of Minivans has gone through a major redesign, lost some of its appeal when it comes to satisfying the enthusiast...
...but has worked hard at providing a more polished minivan experience. Now if it only lost that CVT transmission I could say I almost like it.
Nissan Elgrand
-Dino Dalle Carbonare
