Daimler and its Franco-Japanese partners in the Renault-Nissan Alliance have confirmed that development of the coming Mercedes-Benz pickup will be a joint project between the two groups, Motor Report announced on Wednesday.
Confirming speculation that the new Mercedes utility could be based on Nissan’s incoming ‘D23’ Navara NP300, the announcement reveals the extent of the collaboration. The new Navara will donate “some” of its architecture to the new one-ton model, although styling and engineering will be carried out specifically at the German end of the partnership.
The new Mercedes pickup will launch with a dual-cab body and the range will be aimed both at commercial and family/recreational customers. The new model will be produced alongside the Navara at Nissan's plants in Cordoba, Argentina, and Barcelona, Spain. A launch schedule for the Mercedes pickup is still to be confirmed, with the partnership today confirming only that production will begin “before the end of the decade”.
A third Navara-based utility, the previously confirmed Renault one-ton pickup, will also be built at both Nissan plants.
The Barcelona, Spain plant will produce about 120,000 vehicles annually for the three partners, while the Cordoba, Spain plant will produce nearly 70,000 vehicles a year.
“Thanks to our cooperation with Daimler on this project, we will be able to share the cost of investment at the Cordoba plant, while at the same time open up new markets in the Latin American region for the Renault-Nissan Alliance,” Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn said on Tuesday.
“This project will also allow us to optimize production capacity at the Barcelona plant and enhance our competitiveness in an important segment.”
Initial production of the Renault pickup will be in Mexico, however, beginning in 2016. Its debut will follow the launch of a half-ton pickup later this year.
Australian-delivered versions of the new Navara will again come from Thailand, however the Australian-delivered Mercedes and Renault models will boast European production as another point of difference in our market.
