Renault-Nissan and Daimler announce cooperation deal

By Tom Phillips

07th April 2010

It’s a done deal! Just as Auto Express exclusively reported last week, the Renault-Nissan alliance and Daimler have signed a deal to share platforms and powertrains. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche and Renault boss Carlos Ghosn has personally agreed the deal, announced today in Brussels.

Zetsche commented - “Our skills complement each other very well. Right away, we are strengthening our competitiveness in the small and compact car segment and are reducing our CO2 footprint – both on a long-term basis. We know that we can make brand-typical products based on shared architectures. The individual brand identities will remain unaffected.”

Carlos Ghosn added - “The Renault-Nissan Alliance knows how to work successfully in collaborative partnerships, and this experience is extremely valuable in today’s and even more tomorrow’s global auto industry. This agreement will extend our strategic collaboration and create lasting value for the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler.”

The highlights of the deal are as follows:

Platform sharing
The agreement is effective immediately and will see the two firms co-develop the architecture that will underpin the next Smart ForTwo, a new smart four-seater and the next-generation Renault Twingo. This effectively secures the future for the Smart brand, while confirming that the next Twingo will be rear-wheel drive. The two-seater architecture may also underpin the production version of the Twizy electric car.

The ForTwo will still be built in Smart’s plant in Hambach, France while the four-seat cars will be built by Renault at its factory in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. The first vehicles are due to arrive in 2013, and all four models will be available with electric drive.

Other platform sharing deals are yet to be announced. However, the first is likely to be that Infiniti will use the underpinnings of the next A- and B-Class so that it can develop a car to rival the Audi A1.

Efficient Powertrains
Engines will be shared freely between Renault-Nissan and Daimler. The French-Japanese alliance will share its efficient, small petrol and diesel units with Daimler. The German firm will add direct injection and moiré sophisticated variable-vane turbos to ensure that they offer the performace expected of a Mercedes. These units will power the next A- and B-Class, along with being used as range-extenders for Mercedes’ larger hybrids.

In return, Renault-Nissan’s luxury brand Infiniti will get access to Daimlers larger four and six-cylinder units.

The firms will also cooperate on the development of future petrol and diesel engines to increase economies of scale and share technology that will ensure that the powerplants offer class leading performance and efficiency.

Collaboration on light commercial vehicles
From 2012, Mercedes Vans will offer its own version of the Kangoo van, including an electrically-powered model, which will be built in Renault’s plant in Maubeuge, France. Mercedes will also take engines and transmissions from the French firm to power its Vito van.

Share swapping
The deal has been made possible by each company taking shares in one other. The cross-holding means that Renault, Nissan and Daimler each hold 3.1 per cent of each other’s shares.