Infiniti To Base 4 New Models On Mercedes-Benz Platforms

Nissan Motor Co.’s luxury Infiniti brand is developing a new platform with Daimler AG that will spawn four models including a crossover vehicle, the unit’s president said.

The first car using the architecture will come to market in 2017, Johan de Nysschen, the head of Infiniti, said in an interview in Detroit today.

Daimler, the owner of the Mercedes-Benz luxury-car brand, said in September that it’s looking at expanding cooperation with Japanese manufacturer Nissan and French partner Renault SA to produce parts for compact vehicles. Mercedes licenses transmissions to Infiniti under a 2012 agreement based on the cooperation framework.

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Car4Life - 1/15/2014 2:11:57 PM

+2 Boost

Wow, this is saying a lot considering the head of Infiniti is the former CEO of Audi in 2012.

Seems like he knows that Benz will again assume complete dominance in the luxury sector, which based on recent numbers could be true in the very near future

222max - 1/15/2014 3:17:50 PM

+1 Boost

Title is misleading. the article says that Infiniti and Mercedes are working jointly on these projects.

xjug1987a - 1/15/2014 3:22:11 PM

+2 Boost

Daimler & Nissan/Infiniti has had an engine sharing agreement in place for over a year and with the costs of new platforms accelerating and competition increasing, JV's where it makes sense, are going to increase. Only the strong survive as noted that Mazda who is alone, is building the next Alfa Romeo Spider off the Miata platform. Also, why do you think Daimler merged Chrysler for $38B way back when, platform sharing and cost reductions. (Chrysler was insanely profitable at that time too and MB needed the cash). It makes sense to share development costs if they're done correctly. The current Jeep Grand Cherokee was jointly developed when Chrysler and Daimler were together.

Johann de Nysschen is a smart guy, he essentially built Audi into what it is. Clearly Nissan/Infiniti needed someone like him at the helm to save the franchise and this will add desperately needed product to Infiniti's stable. Not sure it will solve all their problems though as Infiniti styling is terrible in my opinion. MB will benefit from lower development costs. Also noted that the AMG arm of MB is from now on doing engines for Aston Martin cars. Again, cost reductions are a factor for both companies and working together will certainly help Aston remain in the black.

dlin - 1/16/2014 3:14:23 PM

+1 Boost

Thank God Nissan finally can retire clunky FM platform that has been there for 3 generations of G.