Joint Daimler, Renault-Nissan Plant in Mexico Begins Construction

by Aaron Cole

Updated: December 31st, 2020 Published: July 28th, 2015

A manufacturing plant in Mexico jointly owned by Daimler and Renault-Nissan will begin construction imminently, according to Daimler.

The facility, which will be located in Aguascalientes — about 150 northeast of Guadalajara and 300 miles northwest of Mexico City — will build “compact premium vehicles” for the automakers, which may include the Mercedes-Benz CLA/GLA and the upcoming Infiniti Q30/QX30 that share similar front-wheel drive architectures.

Nissan is expected to produce vehicles from the plant for 2017, and Mercedes vehicles will roll of the lines in 2018.

According to Daimler, the plant will have an initial capacity of 230,000 vehicles in the first year, with the ability to expand later. The plant would roughly rival the size of Mercedes’ Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant, which produced 185,000 cars in 2013, 245,000 cars in 2014 and is expected to make 300,000 cars this year.

The plant will be Mercedes’ first compact car-making plant in the NAFTA region, located near Nissan’s A2 plant, also in Aguascalientes.

The joint manufacturing facility is the latest development in an increasingly cozy relationship between Daimler and Renault-Nissan. In addition to the compact pact, the automakers will share a similar platform for the Renault Twingo and upcoming Smart cars.

The joint plant is owned equally by Daimler and Renault-Nissan.

#CLA #Daimler #Gla #Infiniti #Mercedes-Benz #Nissan #Q30 #QX30 #Renault #Twingo

Aaron Cole

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7 of 24 comments

Eggsalad on Jul 28, 2015

Renault/Nissan and M-B are already sleeping together. The 2016 smart ForTwo is a sort of a joint venture. As for me, I'm not yet ready to gamble on Mexican build quality yet. Sadly, this crosses the Mazda3 hatch and the Fiesta ST off my list.

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- Charliej on Jul 29, 2015
  
  I don't know why you would not trust Mexican assembly? It is how the cars are designed that mostly affect quality. I had a 2005 PT Cruiser built in Saltillo, and it gave me ten years of good service with almost no problems. I have passed it on to my son, who is happy with it. If UAW members or rednecks from my home state of Alabama can screw cars together properly, Mexicanos can do it too. As a matter of fact, I would think that the Mexicanos would do it better. Working in an auto plant here is a prestigious job.. Unlike in the US, where manufacturing jobs are looked down on.
  
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- Derekson on Jul 29, 2015
  
  @Charliej It isn't just about design of the vehicle and parts thereof, but also design of the assembly workflow and quality standards and training, etc. There is a lot more to manufacturing a quality product than a good design. As long as the manufacturer is holding the products from the Mexican plant to the same standards as their other plants, then there is no reason to judge the product just because it's screwed together south of the border. If the manufacturer does a poor job at managing the plant or at quality control, then it's an issue with the company, not the locale where final assembly takes place.
  
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- Corey Lewis on Jul 29, 2015
  
  @Charliej "It is how the cars are designed that mostly affect quality." DSM.
  
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Wmba on Jul 28, 2015

"which may include the Mercedes-Benz CLA/GLA and the upcoming Infiniti Q30/QX30 that share similar front-wheel drive architectures." Similar? They're the same matey. Only the sheet-metal and interior are different. "May include"? What else are they going to make? Infiniti already make Q50's with the Mercedes 2.0t engine and flog them outside North America to a chorus of no enthusiasm whatsoever from the press.

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Corey Lewis on Jul 29, 2015

This all reads a little too DSM for my tastes. It's easier getting into Hot Waters than getting out.

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05lgt on Jul 29, 2015

If you're in enough trouble to "partner" with Daimler... they'll give you the business. Sad that Nissan/Renault are so desperate that they are willing to ignore what has hapoened to others in the same situation.

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