New Mercedes-Benz pickup to share Nissan platform, may come here

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed its upcoming midsize pickup truckwill be spun from a variation of the all-new Nissan "NP300" architecture which underpins the recently released Nissan Navara pickup (pictured) on sale in various global markets. Navara will spawn the next Nissan Frontier expected to arrive here within the next year. 

Although still without a name, Mercedes reaffirmed its first-ever pickup truck will feature a double cab design focused on both commercial and personal use customers. A joint statement issued by Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance noted that while this new truck will share architecture with Nissan product, the Mercedes  "will be engineered and designed by Daimler to meet the specific needs of its customers" and "have all of Mercedes- Benz’ distinctive characteristics and features" when it goes on sale by 2020. 

Could come to America

To be produced at Nissan assembly facilities in Cordoba, Argentina and Barcelona, Spain, the new pickup truck is primarily intended for buyers in Europe, Australia, South Africa and Latin America. However, Steve Cannon, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, recently told the trade journal Automotive News that M-B will decide by the end of this year whether to sell the vehicle here in the United States, as well. 

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"Mercedes-Benz is the fastest growing premium brand in the world," said Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "Entering the rapidly growing segment of midsize pickups is an important step in continuing our global growth path. Thanks to our well-established partnership with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, we are able to drastically reduce the time and cost to enter this key segment." 

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"Thanks to our cooperation with Daimler on this project, we will be able to share the cost of investment at the Cordoba plant, while at the same time open up new markets in the Latin American region for the Renault-Nissan Alliance," said Carlos Ghosn, Renault-Nissan Chairman and CEO. "This project will also allow us to optimize production capacity at the Barcelona plant and enhance our competitiveness in an important segment." The technical partnership between the two firms began on April 10, 2010. 

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