The existing NMKV joint venture between Nissan and Mitsubishi was launched in 2011. Under the new plans, the JV will be extended to co-develop a new small car including a specific electric version based on the jointly-developed “Kei car” platform that has already been used for the Nissan Dayz and Mitsubishi eK wagon, which went on sale in Japan this year.

The collaboration will also see the carmakers share technologies and product assets related to electric vehicles and latest-generation platforms.

However, the first fruits of the extended partnership are expected to take the form of two new sedan models launched under the Mitsubishi brand and based on vehicles from the Renault line-up.

The first sedan, to compete in the full-size D-segment markets of the United States and Canada and would be manufactured at the Renault-Samsung plant in Busan, South Korea.

The second sedan model would compete in the global C-segment. The manufacturing location for this product is still being discussed.

Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance said: ‘Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors have jointly benefited from several collaborations in the past, most recently the successful joint-venture on Kei cars in Japan. I welcome the direction being taken towards this broader cooperation, creating new opportunities for Renault in addition to further leveraging the productive relationship between Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors.’  

Osamu Masuko, president of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, added: ‘As a result of the development of collaborative projects with Nissan Motor up to now, Mitsubishi Motors is pleased to work again with Nissan and now Renault towards achieving further collaborations. The new opportunities could be described as evidence that the ongoing collaborative projects between Mitsubishi Motors and Nissan have brought positive results, and Mitsubishi Motors hopes that any new collaborative projects with the Renault-Nissan Alliance would bring us further merits.’