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Renault-Nissan Alliance details its new modular architecture

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has announced new details regarding its Common Module Family architecture, which is set to reap billions of dollars in savings for the allied French and Japanese brands.


The CMF architecture was initially unveiled by the Renault-Nissan Alliance in June 2013, and the company has stated that the means of building a broader range of vehicles from a smaller pool of parts will increase its synergies as more models are built on the new platforms. The Alliance has indicated that more than two-thirds of all models built by 2020 will be based upon the common architectures.

The architecture consists of three distinct variations: CMF-A for small vehicles, CMF-B for mid-size models, and CMF-C/D for larger vehicles.

The first Nissan models that use the modular underpinnings are the all-new X-Trail and Qashqai compact SUVs, both of which are built on the largest CMF-C/D platform, and the European market Pulsar, on the CMF-B base.

The new Renault Espace MPV will be the first car based on the underpinnings for the French maker, with that vehicle to debut on the large CMF-C/D platform. Renault has stated that all of its models will be revamped in the coming five years, and the Megane small hatchback could be the next version on the modular underpinnings in 2015 (using the same underpinnings as the Pulsar).

The European-based Laguna and South Korean-made Latitude mid-sized sedans will merge into one model built on CMF, and a new-generation Koleos SUV based on the CMF-C/D underpinnings could arrive in 2015/16.

The alliance - which recently celebrated its 15-year anniversary - has already increased revenue from its existing synergies. It recorded a profit rise to 2.87 billion euros ($4.17 billion) in 2013, up from 2.69 billion euros ($3.91 billion). The savings were led by purchasing, powertrain and vehicle engineering.

"Development of CMF vehicles is helping to drive synergies in all our major business areas - from purchasing to vehicle engineering and powertrains," Alliance executive vice president Christian Mardrus said. "CMF will continue to be a major driver of our synergies in the future with 70 per cent of our vehicles expected to fall within the CMF scope by 2020."

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