OtherDave: How long do you think that the FM-platform strategy will work for Nissan?

There are limits. Unfortunately for them, it seems Ford and GM run against them before anyone else.

 

As a means of cost control, the strategy of using a modular platform for multiple vehicles has an infinite shelf life. I think we'll see gradual changes to the FM platform toward the end of this decade, but I see a change in design language driving those revisions more than anything else.

For example,the new pedestrian safety requirements have minimal impact on the FM's lifespan; the major changes will be in the exterior sheetmetal and trim designs. Unless there is a major shift in crashworthiness requirements for the major markets, the current FM platform can go on.

No matter what happens to the current FM platform, Nissan will certainly continue to maximize the use of some sort of common architecture that is flexible enough to be used in many different sectors of the market.