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Infiniti G Will Get a 4-Cylinder Engine from Mercedes-Benz

Infiniti G series will receive a Mercedes-Benz engine following the agreement between Daimler AG and Renault-Nissan. The Automotive News reported the CEO of Renault-Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, said the Infiniti G will use a Mercedes-Benz inline four-cylinder to improve fuel economy and curb emissions. He didn't say when the engine will start equipping the Japanese mid-size luxury sedan and if it will replace the current 4-cylinder engine and the V6 used in the G sedan and coupe.

Ghosn said that research done by Renault and Mercedes-Benz show that there is little cross-shopping between Mercedes and Infiniti U.S. customers. The German luxury carmaker currently builds a 1.8 liter four-cylinder engine that equips mostly European sold C-Class cars. In the U.S., the brand's product line-up uses nothing smaller than a V6. However, Mercedes-Benz plans to bring a smaller engine to America. The new C-Class will begin to be built in Alabama in 2014.

The Mercedes-Benz engine is part of the product-sharing and technology-sharing plan to be applied during the next five years. Daimler, Renault and Nissan said that the alliance was motivated by stricter fuel-economy demands and the potential for saving costs in order to meet them.

Starting from 2016, the U.S. government will impose (on automakers) combined corporate average fuel economy levels of 34.1 mpg, up from 30.2 mpg for 2011-model cars. This will determine some carmakers to replace V6 engines with 4-cylinder units.

Infiniti sold 47,174 G sedans and coupes in the United States last year. Sales of the model are up 28 percent in the first three months of this year from the same period a year earlier.
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