Speaking at a Bloomberg conference, Ghosn reiterated that the carmakers were examining ways to consolidate the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance and assuage doubts about its survival after his eventual departure. Renault currently owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, which controls Mitsubishi Motors.

Asked whether this could transform the carmakers into a single listed entity in 2018 or 2019, however, Ghosn answered: "I don't think so." Reuters reported in March that Renault and Nissan were discussing a deeper tie-up.

(Reporting by Gilles Guillaume and Laurence Frost; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)