Nissan to Build Mini Car with Mitsubishi

An in-house Japanese alliance is in the making these days in the country of the Rising Sun, as two of its iconic car makers, Nissan and Mitsubishi announced they plan to further expand their collaboration.

According to the provisions of a new agreement reached between the parties this week, the two plan to expand their collaboration on the current OEM projects, as well as set up joint ventures for shared production of vehicles.

More precisely, Nissan Navara pickup truck will be manufactured at the Mitsubishi Motors' plant in Thailand, with the two pondering the possibility to develop the next generation of the model together.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the new agreement is the creation of a joint venture which will be in charge with developing a mini car for the Japanese market. The details of the project have not yet been released.

“This agreement is important for Nissan as it supports our expansion in emerging markets, meets immediate capacity needs overseas, and enables us to grow our mini car business in Japan,” said Nissan's CEO Carlos Ghosn

“Our relationship with Mitsubishi demonstrates the ability of the Renault-Nissan Alliance - with its network of global partnerships - to constantly evolve and create new win-win relationships with other companies in function of specific needs and shared objectives.”

So far, Nissan and Mitsubishi work together on several projects, including OEM agreements for vehicles in the Japanese market, including for mini cars and commercial vehicles. These agreements will continue to be in effect despite the new partnership strategy.