Datsun

Waymo, Google's self-driving car unit, has signed a deal to commercialise autonomous vehicle services with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. According to the companies, this new agreement is "exclusive... for an initial period" and will see the partners "explore all aspects" of autonomous vehicle services in France and Japan, including passenger services and cargo delivery.

Renault could respond to the "transformative merger" offer from Fiat Chrysler (FCA) as early as next week. Sources have told Reuters the Renault board won't dawdle in deciding whether to accept Fiat Chrysler's offer for a 50/50 merger worth $52.7 billion. Should the French automaker green light FCA's proposal, it will sign a non-binding agreement and enter formal negotiations on the details of a full merger between the two companies.

Renault is set to propose a merger to Nissan, but the chances of success seem low at this stage. A source has outlined Renault's proposed merger plans to The Nikkei. In the proposal, a new holding company will be formed to own 100% of Renault and Nissan, with current shareholders swapping their current shares for stakes in the new company.

The Datsun Cross has been revealed in Indonesia this week, becoming the third model introduced by the brand to that market in as many years. Serving as Datsun's new flagship in the Indonesian market, the Cross is a seven-seat crossover designed for "all lifestyles and a variety of tasks" – according to the company, at least. Under the bonnet is a 1.2-litre petrol engine available in two tunes – 68hp (51kW) and 78hp (58kW) – while torque remains constant at 104Nm regardless of variant.

The budget-focused Datsun Go and Maruti Suzuki Swift models sold in India have been lambasted after scoring zero stars in the most recent round of Global New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) crash testing. Both market-specific vehicles were put through a crash test scenario under the newly formed Indian arm of NCAP, the Bharat New Car Assessment Program. Neither is fitted with any airbag protection as standard in their cheapest form. Watch the video of the Datsun Go crash test here.