2008 Nissan Sentra on 2040-cars

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Nissan tells Renault it is 'not opposed' to Fiat Chrysler merger plan

TOKYO – Nissan on Wednesday told Renault it wasn't opposed to its partner's potential $35 billion merger with Fiat Chrysler, the Nikkei newspaper said, as the two met to hash out the future of their alliance amid a deal that could upend the auto industry. The leaders of Nissan Motor Co, France's Renault SA and junior partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp gathered at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama for a scheduled alliance meeting - one overshadowed by Fiat Chrysler's proposal this week for a merger-of-equals with Renault. The plan, which would create the world's third-largest automaker, raises difficult questions about how Nissan would fit into a radically changed alliance. Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard arrived in Japan on Tuesday to discuss the proposed tie-up with Nissan, 43.4% owned by the French automaker. "We are not opposed," the Nikkei quoted an unnamed Nissan source who had attended the meeting as saying. The person also said "many details need to be worked out" before the Japanese automaker solidifies its position on the issue, the Nikkei reported. In a statement, the alliance members confirmed that they had "an open and transparent discussion" on the proposal. The deal looks designed to tackle the costs of far-reaching technological and regulatory changes, including the drive toward electric vehicles. Nissan, which has rebuffed overtures by Renault for a merger of their own despite their 20-year alliance, was blindsided by the discussions, sources have told Reuters, stoking concerns that a deal with Fiat Chrysler could weaken Nissan's relations with Renault. The tie-up also poses an additional challenge for Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa, already grappling with poor financial performance and an uneasy relationship with Renault after Nissan led the ousting last year of long-standing alliance chairman Carlos Ghosn. There have long been tensions between Nissan and Renault over the imbalance of power in their alliance. Nissan, the bigger company, holds a 15% non-voting stake in the French automaker, while Renault owns 43.4% of Nissan. Ahead of Wednesday's meeting, Japanese media quoted Saikawa as telling reporters that he would look at the potential opportunities afforded by a Renault-FCA merger. Credit ratings agency Moody's said it was vital for Nissan to stabilize its partnership with Renault to expand operational synergies and improve margins.

Internal Nissan emails reportedly corroborate Ghosn's claim of a setup

An internal email trail reportedly supports former boss Carlos Ghosn's claim that Nissan orchestrated his ouster. The leaked emails have been corroborated by sources familiar with their contents, Bloomberg reports.  Emails going back to February 2018, a year before his arrest, allegedly describe a deliberate and multi-pronged effort — a "methodical campaign," Bloomberg said — to remove Ghosn from the company and in so doing, put Nissan in position to negotiate a more favorable relationship with alliance partner Renault.  The initial effort was apparently triggered by Ghosn's announcement in 2018 that he wanted to further intertwine Renault and Nissan, eventually to the point where their integration would be irreversible. Former Ghosn aide Hari Nada, who would appear as the whistleblower figure who outed Ghosn for his alleged financial misconduct, allegedly suggested to a Nissan senior manager that company executives should move to "neutralize his initiatives before itÂ’s too late." Nada would later recommend the termination of the agreement governing the Renault-Nissan Alliance. This would have granted Nissan broader freedom to purchase stake in Renault (or even ultimately take it over entirely), and reduce the French automaker's influence over Nissan's ability to choose its own executives.  The next day, Ghosn was arrested at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on charges of financial misconduct, including personal use of company money and under-reporting of income.  Ghosn, who was released and re-arrested multiple times, fled Japan illegally in January, taking refuge in his former home of Lebanon. Since, Japanese authorities have pushed for his arrest but have been foiled by the lack of an extradition agreement between the two countries.       Government/Legal Rumormill Nissan Renault

2015 Nissan Murano configurator is lux'd and loaded

We just got done driving the all-new, 2015 Nissan Murano and while you'll have to wait just a few more hours for our complete driving impressions, you can at least get online and build your very own example of Nissan's latest CUV, thanks to the company's new configurator. While Nissan has already published the Murano's starting price, this is our first glimpse at the full pricing details. As we said, prices start at $29,650, not counting an $885 destination charge. From there, things, um, increase. Moving from the base S to the mid-level SV will require an extra $3,060, and adds navigation with the NissanConnect telematics system, a power driver's seat, LED running lights, remote start and a USB port for backseat passengers. An additional $4,330 moves you up to the Murano SL, adding heated leather seats, a Bose stereo, AroundView monitoring, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a power liftgate and blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert. At the top of the range sits the Platinum, starting at $39,000 ($2,050 more than the SL). It includes 20-inch wheels, LED headlights, climate-controlled front seats, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. Regardless of trim, Nissan customers will get about with the help of a 3.5-liter V6 that's been mated up to an Xtronic continuously variable transmission. Adding the optional all-wheel-drive system will bump up the CUV's price an additional $1,600. Head over to the configurator and build your own ideal Murano.