Ghosn: 'Massive' Plans for Mitsubishi-Nissan Alliance in US
Carlos Ghosn, the synergizing executive that Sergio Marchionne only wishes he could be, isn’t mincing words when it comes to Nissan’s plans for fledgling automaker Mitsubishi.
According to the Renault-Nissan top boss, the deal between Nissan and Mitsubishi is “massive.”
Speaking with Automotive News, Ghosn stated his intention to absorb Mitsubishi into the Alliance by exploiting all potential areas the two companies can work together.
“We will have to dig more in the U.S.,” he told Automotive News. “But when you talk about purchasing, engineering, platforms, engines, plug-in hybrids — it’s massive.”
Considering the lack of product overlap between the two companies in the U.S. and that both brands see electrification as the way forward, the deal could help both Mitsubishi and Nissan round out their product lineups.
No details are known at this time, but Ghosn said he’ll make his plans for the two companies crystal clear once the deal is formally announced.
“The day we announce the deal, we’re going to tell you exactly what we’re going to do together. And it’s massive. It’s massive between Mitsubishi and Nissan,” he said.
In 2013, Mitsubishi and Renault-Samsung agreed to a deal where Mitsubishi would sell sedans built in Korea by Renault-Samsung, badge-engineered as Mitsubishis for North America. That deal was cancelled shortly over a year later after producing zero cars.
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Ah the Mitsubishi conundrum, except the L200 and the outlander PHEV only imigrants - from parts of the world where IED-maker is a viable career path - and pensioners buys Mitsubishis in Sweden. Having been in a Mitsubishi station wagon - lancer? - that was supposedly, without it showing in the fit and finish department, built after the fall of the Soviet Union I can see why. Only people who suffered through the Great Depression, or who's previous transport was a donkey that was Hellfired by a predator drone, would even dream of buying a Mitsubishi.
Doesn't Mitsubishi also make rockets no one wants to buy except of Japanese Government which already mired in a huge debt so I can assume has a subprime credit rating?
I wonder if part of the plans involve simply shutting down the Mitsubishi dealer network, and replacing some Nissans with their Mitsubishi counterparts. I don't really see any great advantage to going through all the trouble to re-badge some Nissans so they can be sold in the handful of tiny low-volume Mitsubishi dealerships. (The one nearest me, in a pretty substantial metro area, is a half-hour drive. The "service department" is a couple of bays carved out of a nearby tire shop.)
Iz dat sum Diamante in the photo??? :o And an older Galant in the background it seems.