Renault-Nissan Alliance and Mitsubishi Motors join forces

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and the Renault-Nissan Alliance have announced plans to engage in new joint projects.

NMKV, an existing joint-venture company established by Nissan and Mitsubishi, was launched in 2011 to co-develop a range of compact Kei cars for both brands. The first products of the venture, the Nissan Dayz and the Mitsubishi eK wagon, went on sale earlier this year in Japan.

The success of these past ventures has led to the strategic co-operation between Mitsubishi Motors and Nissan being widened to include the Renault-Nissan Alliance, increasing expansion opportunities.

Consequently, the collaboration will result in both technologies and manufacturing capacity being shared. One project will see a new small car co-developed by Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors. The basis of this project will be a jointly developed 'Kei car' platform, and a specific electric version will also be designed.

Osamu Masuko, President of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation commented: “As a result of the development of collaborative projects with Nissan Motor up to now, Mitsubishi Motors is pleased to work again with Nissan and now Renault towards achieving further collaborations.

"The new opportunities could be described as evidence that the ongoing collaborative projects between Mitsubishi Motors and Nissan have brought positive results, and Mitsubishi Motors hopes that any new collaborative projects with the Renault-Nissan Alliance would bring us further merits.”

The alliance will also see technologies and products, in the form of the newest electric vehicle developments and latest-generation platforms, shared between the companies.

Mitsubishi additionally has plans to launch two new saloon models based on Renault vehicles. The first, a compact executive saloon, would be destined for the United States and Canada. The second, a smaller family car, would be a global model.

President and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Carlos Ghosn said: “Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors have jointly benefited from several collaborations in the past, most recently the successful joint-venture on Kei cars in Japan.

"I welcome the direction being taken towards this broader co-operation, creating new opportunities for Renault in addition to further leveraging the productive relationship between Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors.”