WSJ: Daimler and Renault-Nissan in "final stages" of alliance talk

Daimler is looking for a new kind of Renault Alliance, one that includes Nissan. According to a new report in The Wall Street Journal, there is a deal pending between Renault-Nissan and Daimler to partner on things like engines and platforms, as well as further development on matters that could help increase fuel efficiency. The two companies feel that partnering in those areas would help develop the technology more effectively while keeping the costs more manageable.

Right off the bat, Daimler will get the key to the Renault-Nissan small-car and small-engine toybox. When was the last time you heard of a cheap, frugal Mercedes-Benz... even a Smart? Renault-Nissan would get the opportunity to fiddle around with Daimler's hybrid goodies, as well as possibly the German company's diesels. Any sort of Nissan-Renault alliance with Daimler could fail horribly – after all, these are the raiders that flogged Chrysler badly enough to land it on the heart/lung machine. On the other hand, a vehicle as inexpensive as a Versa that's as solidly screwed together as an E Class has a certain allure. An announcement may come as soon as early next week.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

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