Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of the Renault Group, officially opened the new production line at the Sandouville plant in Normandy, which will manufacture the new Trafic, meaning that the Renault brand now manufactures all of its Europe-bound LCVs in France.

From the second quarter of 2016, this new line will also produce a vehicle for Fiat – based upon the same platform as the new Trafic – with a total estimated volume of 100,000 vehicles. The deal comes as part of the agreement signed between the two firms in July, with production to begin from Q2 2016.

The styling of the Fiat vehicle will be developed by Fiat and will feature unique and distinctive elements on the model, branded Fiat Professional.

The partnership follows on from the agreement signed in March 2013, called the “Contract for a new dynamic of Renault growth and social development in France”.

Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of the Renault Group, said: ‘The transformation of the Sandouville plant and the new agreement signed with Fiat position it as a key player in the growing light commercial vehicle market. Thanks to the competitiveness agreement signed in March 2013 and the hard work of Sandouville’s employees, this plant is capable of reaching the highest levels of quality and performance. Congratulations to everyone involved.’