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Renault and Nissan in talks that could reshape autos alliance

PARIS/TOKYO – Renault and Nissan said on Monday they were in talks about the future of their alliance, including the Japanese automaker considering investing in a new electric vehicle venture by its French partner. The talks, which could prompt the biggest reset in the alliance since the 2018 arrest of longtime executive Carlos Ghosn, have included consideration of Renault selling some of its Nissan stake, two people with knowledge of them said. Negotiations are expected to continue ahead of a Renault investor presentation in early November, when the French carmaker is expected to give an update on its new EV unit, which is code-named "Ampere." Renault owns about 43% of Nissan, which in turn has a 15% stake in its long-term partner. The French state also has a 15% holding in Renault. Shares in Renault rose by as much as 6% in early trading, making the stock the best performer on France's benchmark CAC-40 equity index. They were up 3.54% by 1105 GMT. Renault and Nissan said in a joint statement that they were "engaged in trustful discussions around several initiatives" including a potential Nissan investment in the EV venture and what they called "structural improvements" in their alliance. Renault CEO Luca De Meo, who was in Japan over the weekend, and Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida have been central to talks about reshaping its terms, a person familiar with the talks said. A group of Nissan executives, including Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta, have also been involved in developing discussions in recent months, the person said. Renault is looking to win Nissan as an investor in its new EV venture, which it is setting up alongside a separate combustion engine unit, essentially splitting out the higher-growth and investment-hungry portion of its auto business. In exchange for investing in the EV venture, Nissan is looking to Renault to reduce its stake in the Japanese automaker, a person familiar with the talks said. The French dominance of the alliance has long been a point of contention for Nissan, which wants Renault to cut its stake to 15% to draw level with its own holding in Renault, the source familiar with the matter told Reuters. For Nissan, the talks could represent a chance to reset a structure that many executives at the Japanese firm have seen as unbalanced, given the way vehicle development work between the two carmakers has progressed in recent years.

Daimler and Nissan venture to build cars in Mexico

Nissan and Daimler have been partnering ever closer for years, and now an unnamed source has told Reuters that the automakers have agreed to a 50-50 joint venture in Mexico that would build Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz models. Given that the rumors about just such a deal go back nearly six months and similar rumblings are years old, this arrangement has been a long time coming.
The insider tells Reuters that a memorandum of understanding was signed between them last month to build the Mercedes GLA-Class and new Infinitis at Nissan's Aguascalientes factory. The rumor didn't say when production would begin. It wouldn't be the first time the two automakers have decided to share this platform - Infiniti will build its Q30 compact on it in the UK next year.
The partnership between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler goes back to 2010 when the companies signed an agreement to share engines, factories and platforms. Since then, products of the partnership have included the underpinnings for the next-generation Smart and Renault Twingo and shared engines among some other models.

2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year entries announced

Over 40 vehicles will compete for the 2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year awards. If that name looks a little strange, it's because the competition added a third category. In years past, pickup trucks, crossovers, SUVs, commercial vans, and minivans competed for the same award. That's why there were occasionally weird comparisons, like last year's competition between the Volvo XC90 and Nissan Titan XD. The new format separates pickups and commercial vans into the truck contest and CUVs, SUVs, and minivans into the utility competition. A complete list of eligible vehicles is below, but here are a few highlights. For one, the entire list of entries has a luxurious lean. Of the 43 vehicles, nearly half of them are from premium brands. There are two eligible Bentleys – the Bentayga and Mulsanne – the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q7, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-, E-, and S-Class Maybach. The performance ranks are lofty, too, with the Audi R8, Acura NSX, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mercedes SL- and SLC-Class, Porsche 718, and F-150 Raptor. The mainstream entries are just as comprehensive. From the Chrysler Pacifica to the Chevrolet Cruze to the Fiat 124 Spider to the Mitsubishi Mirage, NACTOY has covered an enormous price range with this year's contestants. Of course, these are only the eligible vehicles. They'll need to run through three rounds of judging, starting in September at NACTOY's traditional Hell, MI, test drive. The Canadian and American journalists involved in the judging will announce this year's nine finalists – three in each category – on December 6. Cars Acura NSX Alfa Romeo Giulia Audi A4 Audi R8 Bentley Mulsanne Buick Cascada Buick LaCrosse Cadillac CT6 Chevrolet Bolt Chevrolet Cruze Fiat 124 Genesis G90 Hyundai Elantra Infiniti Q60 Jaguar XE Kia Cadenza Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Mercedes-Benz S550 Maybach Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Mini Clubman Mitsubishi Mirage/G4 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Rolls-Royce Dawn Toyota Prius Prime Volvo S90 SUVs Audi Q7 Bentley Bentayga Buick Envision Cadillac XT5 Chrysler Pacifica GMC Acadia Infiniti QX30 Kia Sportage Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Jaguar F-Pace Mazda CX-9 Nissan Armada Trucks Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups Ford F-150 Raptor Honda Ridgeline Nissan Titan half-ton Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub.