Nissan and Mitsubishi have been steadily strengthening their cooperation since December 2010. Most recently, Nissan announced it will provide its smaller rival Mitsubishi with a new luxury sedan based on the Fuga/Infiniti M.
According to Nissan Dealer Maryland, the two Japanese automakers have already started talks on Mitsubishi providing the Minicab-MiEV commercial electric car to Nissan next year. Ultimately, both agreements will help the companies cut costs by increasing production scale and to expand their lineup with vehicles they won’t have to develop themselves.
Nissan and Mitsubishi have also started a joint venture called NMKV Co., which will develop minicars for the Japanese market. If the venture proves to be a success, it could begin selling minicars outside of Japan as well. Additionally, Nissan has already agreed to provide its NV200 Vanette compact van to Mitsubishi.
According to Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko, the partnership will combine his company’s design expertise with Nissan’s purchasing power.
