Nissan has officially launched the facelifted Elgrand in Malaysia.

Edaran Tan Chong Motor has priced the MPV at RM 388,000 (US$ 120,600) on-the-road, without insurance. Buying official means that you'll enjoy a three-year/100,000 km factory warranty.

Like the original third-gen E52 (launched in Malaysia in April 2012), the Elgrand facelift is powered by a VQ35DE 3.5 litre V6 engine offering 280 PS at 6,400 rpm and 344 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. The CVTC-equipped six-cylinder is paired to Nissan's Xtronic CVT transmission, which has a six-speed manual mode here. An ECO button makes its debut on the instrument binnacle.

Only one powertrain option for Malaysia, so the Elgrand goes head-to-head with UMW Toyota Motor's Alphard 3.5 G, recently introduced along with a entry 2.4 G variant. The Alphard 3.5 G goes for RM 398,000.

The Elgrand is a seven-seater MPV with a 2-2-3 configuration. The middle row consists of two individual captain seats with ottoman, which the front passenger also gets. No ottoman for the driver, of course, but he/she gets an eight-way power adjustable seat with memory. The third row can slide 240 mm forward to accomodate more luggage space if needed.

Specs have been improved. Highlighted kit for the facelifted MPV include front LED headlamps, multi-spoke 18-inch wheels, new Fine Vision meter with five-inch colour Drive Assist Display between the dials and a leather steering wheel with MID and cruise control buttons.

Cabin trim is now in deep wood grain and the black leather seats have a diamond-shaped quilted pattern and brown double stitches. The pre-facelift interior looks like this.

Safety wise, the Elgrand comes with six airbags (dual front, side, curtain), ABS, EBD and Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC). Nissan's Around View Monitor provides a bird's eye view of the vehicle to assist parking. This is done by stitching together images from four 180-degree wide-angle cameras.

Extras for the VIPs include two sunroofs, an entertainment system with 11-inch roof monitor and two wireless headphones. There are air vents for all rows, two powered sliding doors and a powered tailgate. Keyless entry and push start is standard.