Renault-Nissan launches new modular engineering approach

Renault-Nissan's new CMF involves five major modules: engine bay, cockpit, front underbody, rear underbody, and electrical/electronic system.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has announced its new engineering architecture that allows for cross-brand and cross-platform assembly of large modules including the engine bay, cockpit, front underbody, rear underbody, and electrical/electronic system. Known as “Common Module Family” (CFM), the new architecture offers an average 30-40% reduction in entry cost for product and process engineering per model, and a 20-30% reduction in parts cost owing to economies of scale via parts sharing, the companies claim. They plan to increase the modules common to several platforms with a view to standardizing components and increasing the number of vehicles per platform. CMF will gradually be extended to Renault and Nissan ranges between 2013 and 2020. It will be first applied to the compact and large car segments, then followed by models in other segments.