Nissan to manufacture new Qashqai and X-Trail at Sunderland Plant
Nissan will produce new Qashqai and add production of new X-Trail at its Sunderland Plant following assurance from the government of the continued competitiveness of the UK operation.
More than two million Qashqais have been built at the Sunderland plant.
The manufacturer previously expressed concerns about the potential impact of Brexit on financial and logistics operations. These concerns lead to a delay in the brand committing to the Sunderland Plant as the manufacturing centre for the new models.
As a result of the decision to commit to Sunderland, Nissan will increase its investment in the plant, securing the jobs of more than 7,000 workers at the plant. One in three British cars are currently produced in Sunderland, which is the UK’s largest car plant.
80% of production from Sunderland is exported to over 130 international markets, and more than two million Qashqais have been built there. To date, Nissan has invested more than £3.7 billion in Sunderland.
“I am pleased to announce that Nissan will continue to invest in Sunderland. Our employees there continue to make the plant a globally competitive powerhouse, producing high-quality, high-value products every day,” said Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of Nissan.
“The support and assurances of the UK government enabled us to decide that the next-generation Qashqai and X-Trail will be produced at Sunderland. I welcome British Prime Minister Theresa May’s commitment to the automotive industry in Britain and to the development of an overall industrial strategy.”
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Katie Beck
Katie joined Fleet World in 2012 as an editorial intern, following the completion of an English and American Literature BA from the University of East Anglia. She accepted a full-time position as an editorial assistant at the end of the internship period, and was promoted to the role of features editor in 2014. She works across the magazine and website portfolio, and administrates the social media channels.
