Nissan Supplying Light-Duty Trucks to Renault

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. will be supplying light-duty trucks to Renault Trucks S.A.S., a Volvo Group company, beginning in the first half of 2007.

The trucks, to be based on the same platform as the next-generation Nissan Cabstar and Atlas, will be sold through the Renault Trucks dealer network, say the two auto makers.

Nissan's Avila, Spain, truck assembly plant, which will build the new Cabstar, is building the trucks for Renault.

“Nissan already supplies engines for Renault Trucks' light-duty range and is therefore a natural choice for developing synergies within this category of vehicles,” Jean-Marc Lange, vice president of the light-duty range for Renault Trucks, says in a statement. “This memorandum of understanding to source Nissan's light duty cab-over-engine vehicle represents an opportunity to widen our product offer - Master and Mascott – in this segment.”

Nissan has said it wants to grow its light-commercial vehicle business 40% to 434,000 units by fiscal year 2007.

Nissan LCV sales in Europe have risen 29% over a 2-year period.