Nissan-Renault and Daimler to Team Up on Transmissions, Turbo Engines

At this week's Paris Motor Show, Renault-Nissan and Mercedes-Benz/Smart owner Daimler announced plans to team up on a direct-injection, turbocharged engine and accompanying transmission. Renault-Nissan's Carlos Ghosn, CEO of the allied French and Japanese automakers, said the effort extends the scope of work between the two automakers that began in 2010.

The final product will be a small turbo four-cylinder that hits mileage targets in Europe and the U.S.; we'll see it debut in Daimler, Renault and Nissan products in 2016. As part of the agreement, Daimler also will license its automatic-transmission technology to Nissan. Nissan will build the new transmissions, which have idle start/stop and shift-by-wire technology, in Mexico.

The move could signal the spread of direct-injection technology across Nissan's lineup. Nissan's only U.S. direct-injection engines are the 5.6-liter V-8 in its Infiniti QX56 SUV and M56 sedan, and the Juke crossover’s turbo 1.6-liter four-cylinder. Its bread-and-butter four- and six-cylinder engines remain port-injected — though that hasn't affected the exemplary mileage some vehicles demonstrate. Compare that to Ford, which direct-injects all its EcoBoost engines, and GM, whose four-cylinders and V-6s are widely direct-injected.

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Comments

wow...just think of the mpg the Altima, Sentra, and Versa could get if their engines were DI. That said, I hope they do the port/direct switch off like Audi and Toyota engines do. that's how you get the best efficiency with the best power.

I want DI on my Altima. Think that DI is better than switches on Toyota and Audi. It is time for Nissan to move on the direct-injection technology. They have quality to beat competitors.

I am interested in where this is going. The infiniti G seems like it will be a very quality car that can compare in performance and luxury to the 3 series, but I can't get past the low mileage and I want turbocharging. If nissan can get 38 mpg highway with a large car with a rather large and quite powerful (for the engine) four cylinder, think what they could do with a turbo 4, or maybe replace the large V6s and V8s with turbocharged engines. Nissan could really get ahead of the competitors with this.

What king of transmission could Nissan get from Mercedes? If it is the long rumored MB longitudinal 9 speed automatic, that would be a big boon for Nissan/Infiniti's rear drive vehicles.

I am more concerned about reliability. Mercedees doesn't have a good track record in this area which Nisssan and Infiniti has. I also wonder about the cost of repairs (German parts costs a lot compared to others)

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Why not get rid of the combustion engine and go electric?