Get ready for even more fun French-Japanese-German crossovers, folks, because the rumors are starting to trickle out of the new alliance between Renault-Nissan and Daimler. When the tie-up was announced earlier this month, we speculated that there might be more than just powertrain sharing going on, and the latest reports hint that we were on the right track.

A B/C-Class-based combo vehicle, including a small crossover, could be coming to the Infiniti lineup--and it could be coming out of Mercedes-Benz's Alabama plant. The latest whispers call the Infiniti version the DX, to fit in along the EX, FX and QX naming scheme. Powered by a four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, the crossover could present a compact alternative to better meet fuel economy goals as well as the somewhat growing taste for smaller vehicles in the U.S.

Other reports have said Mercedes-Benz is already planning to bring its next-gen B-Class crossover (more spy shots here) to the U.S., meaning local manufacture to help keep prices down. That just stokes the Infiniti DX's slow-smoldering fire, as sharing the car between the two brands would help make the business case for the car. The fact that Infiniti has opted out of the "apple-bottom" hatch race as well could leave an opening for a sedan-sized vehicle with a bit more cargo space, as well.

Of course at this point it's all speculation, though it's not entirely wild. We'll have to wait and see what comes of the Renault-Nissan/Daimler mashup, but between Mercedes' build quality and Infiniti's (generally) good styling, there's reason for hope. We just hope it's not a tiny QX.

[L'Automobile]