THE Renault-Nissan alliance has announced plans to assemble two million cars a year on a new jointly developed platform.

The move is the latest phase of the common platform strategy, which will already see the alliance build 1.7 million replacements for the Micra and Clio a year. The move follows Renault's acquisition of a 36.8 per cent stake in Nissan.

The two companies plan to reduce the number of separate platforms - the basic component architecture of a vehicle - from more than 30 to just ten by 2010.

The new platform is expected to be a replacement for the Nissan Almera.

A spokesman for Renault- Nissan said: "The vehicles of both brands assembled on the two new platforms are expected to represent more than 50 per cent of Renault and Nissan's overall future production volumes."

The new platform will be used for Renault's next generation Megane models and the replacement for Nissan's Almera.

The common platform policy is complemented by common purchasing, which will allow economies of scale on purchased parts and in-house machining and assembly, reducing the number of engine bases.

Neither company would comment on where the new platforms would be assembled.

Only last month Nissan chose to build its replacement for the Micra in Sunderland, rather than move production to the Renault plant at Flins, in France