The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is becoming stronger and more focused after the three companies announced a restructuring program and a new plan for the future involving several high-value joint projects in Latin America, India, and Europe.
Starting with the structural changes, Renault will drastically reduce its stake in Nissan from 43% to 15%. This number matches Nissan’s stake in Renault, resulting in a balanced partnership. Furthermore, Nissan will invest in Renaut’s EV and Software venture called Ampere, with a stake of up to 15%. Mitsubishi is also considering investing in Ampere, while both companies will become customers in the Renault Group’s Horse project of low-emission ICE and hybrid powertrains. Last but not least, all three members of the Alliance will collaborate in technology development including solid-state batteries, software-defined vehicles, and autonomous driving.
Read: Nissan Wants To Sell An EV With Solid-State Batteries In 2028
The finalized deal is expected in the first quarter of 2023 and the completion in the fourth quarter of 2023 following regulatory approvals etc. The agreement comes after months of negotiations between Renault and Nissan following a difficult period in their 24-year partnership after the Carlos Ghosn scandal at the end of the previous decade.
Renault and Nissan pledged to balance, de-risk, and boost their operations in Latin America. The big news is that for the first time in two decades, a Renault-badged model will be locally produced in Mexico. The unnamed model will be produced by Nissan, while its segment and bodystyle flavor are yet to be announced.
Latin America: New Pickups Made In Argentina, And Mexico Production For Renault
The Alliance also announced a new half-ton pickup project that will be developed by Renault Group and is set to be produced in Cordoba, Argentina. Both Renault and Nissan will unveil their own small pickups, slotting below the Nissan Frontier / Renault Alaskan. The one-tonne pickup project was deemed successful, so development will continue in the future.
Furthermore, Nissan and Renault are considering launching two closely-related EVs in Latin America. Those will be positioned in the city car segment (A-Segment), underpinned by the CMF-AEV architecture.
India: Larger Vehicles Including A Renault Triber-Based Nissan
Luca de Meo described India as “one of the most important markets in the world”, with Renault and Nissan pursuing closer ties as the only way of being profitable. The automakers will offer larger vehicles in India, and all of them will be underpinned by Renault architectures. Among the “several new vehicle projects” there will be SUVs, including Nissan’s version of the Renault Triber.
Europe: More Jointly Developed Models
In Europe, the Alliance re-confirmed an upcoming electric Micra successor by Nissan, set to be produced by Renault in the ElectriCity facility in France from 2026. Luca de Meo said that the model will have 80% common parts with the new Renault 5, resulting in a 40% reduction in the development costs for Nissan. The upcoming electric Micra will be based on the CMF B-EV platform, featuring a Nissan-specific design as hinted at by last year’s official teaser.
Other products of the Alliance are the new Mitsubishi Colt and ASX models which are rebadged versions of the Renault Clio and Captur. Both models will be produced in Spain and Turkey. Renault Group’s CEO also spoke about “other things” that might come in the future without getting into specifics.
On the LCV front, the FlexEVan will be Renault Group’s first software-defined vehicle, arriving in 2026 in Europe, set to be shared with Nissan. Renault and Nissan will also collaborate for the next generation of EVs in the compact segment (C-Segment) that will arrive after 2026. Last but not least, the cooperation between the two parties for the European market will expand in the areas of distribution, aftersales, circular economy, batteries, and in a large EV charging infrastructure set to be built in Renault’s and Nissan’s dealerships around Europe.
Below you can watch the entire press conference held this morning, with the CEOs of Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi announcing the new deal and answering questions.