Suzuki Landy SGC27

Of course, with the collaboration between Nissan and Suzuki is slowly killing following Nissan's control of Mitsubishi Motors that spurs more than just kei cars, it seems that the last car of the Suzuki-Nissan partnership, the Serena-based Landy, is the only one left. Sure, Suzuki wanted to kill off the Landy from their lineup but with a little spark from their nearly extinct partnership, Suzuki decided to borrow a base-spec Nissan Serena C27 for their all new Landy minivan, just to see if their is little left for their partnership that is about to end soon.

2017 Suzuki Landy

2017 Suzuki Landy

Using a base-spec Nissan Serena C27 as its foundation, the new Suzuki Landy is an MPV that is well-fit for the working-class Japanese families in a multitude of prefectures everywhere and it's hard to tell the difference between the original and the borrowed one, the new Landy is still the same story as what others expected from the latest Nissan Serena.

2017 Suzuki Landy interior

Being an MPV, the new Landy offers anything what an MPV should offer. Dual sliding doors, a choice of six or seven seats, loads of compartments to store your stuff, different seating arrangements, USB ports to attach your gadgets, climate control, plasmacluster, there's even that signature dual back door as seen from the latest Nissan Serena; the one that can open either in half or in whole. Perfect for tailgating parties, camping trips, or anything you want to do on your day off or weekends with your family or friends.

2017 Suzuki Landy

Because the Landy is basically a base-spec Nissan Serena C27 borrowed by Suzuki for their last-ditch effort to preserve their wilting partnership, the new model comes with the improved S-HYBRID powertrain with total energy management that takes charge to the sub-battery unit, eco motor, idling stop, the MR20DD 2.0L petrol engine, and the CVT, capable of delivering just 16.6km/L. That's it.

For safety, because this is just a base-model Serena with no features as well as the ProPILOT tech from the high-end models, the Landy offers a host of driver assist features such as the Emergency Brake feature that halts the car by itself when it spots a moving object upfront at slow speeds as well as Lane Departure Warning, Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection,

Parking Assist, Hill Hold Control, and Auto Light System, among many others.

The new Landy starts at 2,500,200 Japanese Yen (around $22,000 or 1,100,000 Pesos) and with a very reasonable pricing for a Serena-based minivan, it's a clear reminder that while it may be the last car that was part of their Nissan-Suzuki partnership that's about to be declared extinct following Nissan's takeover of Mitsubishi Motors, the Landy is an ideal family car that wants to be taken very seriously with care. It may not have most of the sweet spots as the latest Serena but the new Landy's reasonable pricing, fuel efficiency, and family-friendly features will make it yours.

Photo: Suzuki Motor Corporation