Nissan are to supply Renault Trucks S.A.S with its own brand of light duty vehicles through its specialised dealer network. Renault will sell the vehicles as a complement to the successful Master and Mascott ranges.
“With its superior manoeuvrability and efficient cost of ownership, the Cab-Over-Engine type of vehicle meets the high expectations of the European customers.” said Andrew Palmer, vice president and global head of Nissan’s Light Commercial Vehicles Business Unit.
The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Nissan will start supplying its vehicles to Renault in the first half of 2007. The vehicles supplied will be produced in Nissan’s factory in Avila, Spain, where the new generation Cabstar will be built.
“Nissan already supplies engines for Renault Trucks’ Light Duty range and is therefore a natural choice for developing synergies within this category of vehicles,” said Jean-Marc Lange, vice president, Light Duty Range of Renault Trucks.
Nissan says that it has identified the LCV business as one of four breakthrough areas for the company under its Nissan Value-Up three-year business plan, which started in 2005. Nissan has set ambitious objectives for the LCV business, which are to double operating profit to 8 per cent and grow volumes by 40 per cent to 434,000 units worldwide by 2007.
