2021 Nissan Rogue S on 2040-cars

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Mitsubishi and Renault-Nissan expand partnership, US will get new sedan

Mitsubishi and Renault-Nissan have just inked an alliance that might, hopefully, reverse the ailing fortunes of the Mitsubishi brand in the US market. The big chunk of news is that Mitsubishi will produce two Renualt-based models for sale in the US market, and that they'll be built at the Renault-Samsung factory in Busan, South Korea.
The plans call for a D-segment sedan to be followed by a C-segment offering. Based on the cars built at the Busan factory, that means Mitsubishi will be getting the SM5 and the SM3, a pair of handsome sedans that are based on Renault-Nissan's D and C platforms, respectively. These same platforms underpin a number of US market Nissans (not to mention a number of cars from Renault), namely the Pathfinder, Maxima, Quest and Murano for the D platform and the last-generation Rogue and Sentra for the C platform.
Besides the sedan production, Nissan and Mitsubishi will be expanding their joint-venture company, NMKV, which produces Kei cars for the Japanese market. A new, all-electric offering will be born from the partnership, likely based on a Kei car platform. The partnership between the three brands will also lead to increased sharing of technology, particularly relating to electric cars.

2018 Ford Expedition vs other big SUVs: How it compares on paper

With our Alex Kierstein rightly impressed in his first-drive review of the new 2018 Ford Expedition, we decided to dig a little deeper into the numbers, and we came up with the spreadsheet below to highlight how the new 2018 Expedition compares on paper to its main full-size SUV competitors: the 2018 Chevy Tahoe and Suburban (and therefore the 2018 GMC Yukon), 2018 Toyota Sequoia and 2018 Nissan Armada. We also threw in the new, even bigger 2018 Chevrolet Traverse since, as you'll see, its massive dimensions should put it on the radar for anyone who needs loads of passenger and cargo space but doesn't care as much about towing. A few notes about the chart above. First, the 6.2-liter V8 that's included with the new-for-2018 Tahoe RST trim level is the standard engine on the GMC Yukon Denali. You can apply most of the Tahoe's numbers to the entire Yukon and Yukon XL lineup. Second, though we highlighted categories where the Traverse led, we also highlighted the runner-up full-size SUV, since this was ultimately about that segment. Traverse numbers are broadly applicable to the new Buick Enclave. Related Video: Chevrolet Ford GMC Nissan Toyota SUV Comparison consumer ford expedition gmc yukon chevy traverse toyota sequoia nissan armada chevrolet tahoe ford expedition max

Renault will split EV from combustion unit, seeks partnerships

PARIS — Renault has received several partnership proposals for the combustion engine unit it plans to create alongside one dedicated to electric vehicles and software, two sources familiar with the matter said. Renault plans to separate its electric and conventional car businesses, creating two entities to manage the shift towards fossil-free vehicles. "The group has already received partnership demands" for its internal combustion engine unit, one of the sources said. By bringing in partners on the combustion engine side Renault aims to free up funds to invest in electric vehicles, a technology in which it was a pioneer with Nissan and Mitsubishi, but in which it is now eclipsed by pure players such as Tesla. Renault intends to retain majority ownership of its electric division, which will employ about 10,000 people and which could be bourse-listed via an IPO in the second half of 2023. However, it will only remain a reference shareholder, not a controlling shareholder, of the combustion engine unit, which will have similar staff levels, said two other sources familiar with the plans. One of the sources said Renault may hang on to a 40% stake. Renault declined to comment. The carmaker at a capital market day this autumn will set out its plans for its electric arm based in France and the combustion unit headquartered abroad. That entity will include factories producing engines and gear boxes for gasoline and hybrid cars in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Romania and Latin America. Among potential partners for its combustion engine business, CEO Luca de Meo in April mentioned Nissan, other automotive groups and long-term investors. De Meo is set to travel to Japan next month to discuss potential Japanese participation in its electric and combustion engine projects. Renault is undergoing a major restructuring aimed at restoring its finances and recently signed partnerships beyond its historical alliances with Nissan, Mitsubishi and Mercedes, such as with China's Geely Automobile Holdings. This month it sold 34% of its South Korean unit to Geely, which owns Volvo Cars and is a shareholder in Mercedes. With Geely, Renault plans to develop hybrid vehicles which will be assembled in its plant in Busan, South Korea. Earnings/Financials Green Mitsubishi Nissan Renault