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Renault Official Confirms Daimler Talks

The recession brought a lot of partnerships between automakers and a lot of interest for the manufacturing of small, cheap and reliable cars for emerging markets like India. As surprises often appear in difficult financial times, discussions between Renault and Daimler have been confirmed by Renault's chief operating officer Patrick Pelata, who also added that they are talking to other automakers too.

Earlier this week, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said that they are talking with Renault about the development of small cars. Apparently Daimler is looking for ways of expanding the smart brand and build engines for their compacts like their B-Klasse. In the same note, Patrick Pelta said the partnership discussions also included engines, transmission and platforms.

"Carmakers are holding discussions with each other. There are a lot at the moment. Yes, we are discussing serious matters with Daimler,"
said Pelta.

Other scenarios say that Daimler and Renault will be working together in order to achieve a new rear engine micro car platform for the next generation of smart cars arriving in 2013 and for the new Renault Twizy electric vehicle.

As this trend becomes more and more popular, some automakers acted quickly and made important moves. Volkswagen is the best example, as the German automaker bought 19.9 percent stake in Suzuki and started the collaboration to produce a small vehicle for the Indian market. The Germans have a lot to gain from this partnership, as the Japanese are known for their experience with microcar technology.
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