The alliance between Nissan and Mercedes-Benz, which once represented a new industrial era in Mexico, will come to an end. Cooperation Manufacturing Plant Aguascalientes, known as COMPAS, announced it will close operations on May 31, 2026, according to a statement signed by its steering committee and confirmed by the state’s Secretary General of Government, José Antonio Arámbula. The decision is justified by changes in automotive market trends and consumer preferences, an argument that reflects a deeper transformation in the global industry.
The news shakes Aguascalientes, a region that for almost a decade boasted of being the heart of premium production in Mexico. COMPAS was founded in 2015 as a joint project between Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance, with an investment of $1 billion. Its goal was to manufacture luxury compact cars with German technology and Japanese efficiency. Today, that history is beginning to fade.
The statement details that production of Infiniti models will end in November of this year, while Mercedes-Benz vehicles will not roll off the assembly line until May 2026. Despite the closure, the company assured that it remains financially solvent and will fulfill all its labor and commercial commitments until the end.
COMPAS once produced more than 230,000 vehicles annually, including the Infiniti QX50, QX55, and the Mercedes-Benz GLB, models that were exported to various markets across the continent. The plant generated around 3,600 direct jobs and more than 12,000 indirect jobs, figures that now highlight the magnitude of the social impact its closure will have.
The closure does not occur in a vacuum. Nissan is facing one of the most critical periods in its modern history. Under the leadership of Iván Espinosa, the brand’s Mexican CEO, the Re:Nissan plan was launched, a global strategy to cut costs and restructure operations, which includes the closure of factories in several countries.
The decision to close the doors at COMPAS follows the recent announcement of the closure of the CIVAC plant in Morelos, one of the country’s most iconic complexes. Within a matter of months, Nissan would be closing two of its Mexican factories, a clear sign that the restructuring process goes beyond simple logistical adjustments.
Although the Japanese brand insists that Mexico will continue to be key to its manufacturing strategy, the closure of COMPAS represents a symbolic and operational blow. For years, the plant was a model of cooperation between the East and Europe in Mexico. Today, that symbol is crumbling.
Employees, suppliers, and local communities await clarity about the future. Plant management promised to maintain open communication and guarantee job security until the closing date. However, uncertainty lingers in the industrial corridors of Aguascalientes.
The history of COMPAS demonstrates how global alliances can change as quickly as markets. What in 2015 was a commitment to luxury made in Mexico will remain in 2026 as a lesson about the limits of automotive globalization.
The end of COMPAS not only marks the closure of a plant. It marks the end of an era where Mexico dreamed of manufacturing the premium cars that conquered the streets of the world.
Source: xataka
