Nissan Motor Co. Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday the company's Infiniti brand will start producing a new compact car based on Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz technology in 2014, part of a wider effort to extend Nissan's cooperation with the German auto maker.
Speaking in a joint press conference with Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Mr. Ghosn said Nissan's French alliance partner Renault SA is looking into using Mercedes-Benz modules as well. Ghosn is the CEO of Nissan and Renault.
Mr. Ghosn said the next-generation Infiniti cars would be built outside Japan because the stronger yen makes its financially unattractive for exports. He said a decision on whether production will be in Europe, China, the U.S. or elsewhere hasn't been made yet.
Mr. Zetsche noted cooperation efforts have exceeded his expectations since Daimler forged an alliance with Renault and Nissan last year. Messrs. Zetsche and Ghosn stressed there are no taboos for future cooperation projects as long as they are mutually beneficial.
The Renault-Nissan alliance collectively holds a 3.1% stake in Daimler and the German premium auto maker has an equivalent stake in each of its two alliance partners. Under the agreement, the three companies pledged to cooperate in developing small vehicles and engines to reap cost synergies. They also agreed to cooperate in the field of light-commercial vehicles.
Mr. Zetsche said production of the new-generation of Daimler's Smart mini-car, which was jointly developed along with Renault's Twingo model, is due to start in 2012, with the market launch scheduled for early 2014. He reiterated that there is no plan to raise the cross-shareholding within the alliance.
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