Back in April 2010, Nissan/Renault and Mercedes-Benz’s parents, Daimler, entered into a joint partnership for furthering small car technology. The idea was to parts-interchange so that both companies could have new compact vehicles and soon, the first fruit of their labor will hit the market. To be branded as Nissan’s luxury premium name, Infiniti, is a modified version of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class that should compete with Audi’s A3 and BMW’s 1-Series. The front wheel drive hatchback will feature five doors and a shape purely Infiniti. More than likely, the production version will borrow multiple design ques from the Etherea Concept.
According to Car & Driver Magazine, the reasoning behind using a Mercedes-Benz chassis is for the purpose of luxury. Even though Nissan and Renault have years upon years of small car experience, they have yet to enter into the truly upscale market. Infiniti has but never on a scale this size which leaves the time-tested A-Class. In an interview, Nissan’s Executive Vice President Andy Palmer explained that a luxury car must meet a level of refinement that mass brands usually never play with. “A luxury brand will need much better torsional rigidity, much better NVH than you would put into a mass brand.”
Source: Car & Driver
