The Renault-Nissan Alliance is to apply its new three-litre V6 dCi diesel engine across a global, multi-brand variety of vehicles, ranging from Renault’s new Laguna to the Nissan Murano and Infiniti models.

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Publicly the group’s executives have only nominated the new Laguna and its coupe counterpart, due in Europe next Autumn, for the twin turbo, 265-horsepower diesel although they plan to amortise the development and production costs across four brands.


Pierre Loing, Nissan Europe’s vice president of product strategy and planning, said: “Murano will come with a diesel as part of our plan to extend the concept of our crossovers.”


But it is anticipated that Infiniti’s European range, due on sale from October next year, will incorporate the high-performance diesel in the G35 sedan, plus the new EX crossover and its larger FX counterpart.


In Europe the Murano, with a single 3.5-litre petrol V6 automatic-only driveline, is a token player in the SUV sector selling 8,345 units last year, down from 8,963 in 2005. With diesel power available within two years, Nissan Europe believes privately volumes could treble.

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On the Renault front, the Euro V emissions standard (200gms/km in the Laguna Coupe) V6 dCi is also likely to be used in a larger SUV crossover counterpart (mid 2009) to next summer’s Korean-built Koleos and a large sedan planned as part of Renault’s upscale model programme.


RenaultSamsung Motors, which is developing and building these cars, will produce parallel Samsungs equipped with the diesel. When it announced the power unit at the Frankfurt show, Renault highlighted that its particulate filter and NOx trap helped meet “US emission standards.”


Much is resting on the new engine’s success as the Alliance seeks to regain the initiative from the joint PSA-Ford V6 diesel, currently powering Citroens, Peugeots, Land Rovers and Jaguars.


General Motors, in conjunction with VM Motori, is developing an equivalent 2.9-litre engine for Saab, Cadillac, Opel and Vauxhall.


Hugh Hunston