As part of the newly formed alliance between Renault-Nissan and Daimler, the new Infiniti G series will receive a Mercedes-Benz four-cylinder engine.
Earlier this week when Mercedes parent company Daimler and Renault/Nissan announced a new partnership, the deal included the use of both 4-cylinder and V6 Mercedes powerplants in Infiniti models.
Ghosn did not say which Mercedes-Benz four-cylinder engine would be used in the Infiniti G car. Mercedes-Benz doesn’t currently import any four-cylinder-powered cars to the United States, but has said that it may. The shared four-cylinder engine may also be sold in the Mercedes-Benz C-Class to save money. The C-Class will be built in Alabama starting in 2014.
A more interesting choice might be the 2.1-liter 4-cylinder diesel available in European E-Class models. With direct injection and a two-stage turbocharger, the diesel produces 204 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, as marketed in Britain. It is not known whether that engine could meet United States emission standards.
The Infiniti G series was one of the brand’s top-sellers in the US last year with 47,174 recorded sales. In the first three months of this year, Infiniti G series sales were 28 per cent stronger than the same time last year.