11:32 am, October 27, 2016
NISSAN will produce the next-generation Qashqai and will add production of the next X-Trail to the line-up of cars built at its Sunderland plant, the company announced today.
The company’s decision follows a commitment from the government that the Sunderland plant will remain competitive post-Brexit.
As a result, Nissan will increase its investment there, securing the jobs of more than 7,000 workers.
Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of Nissan, said: ‘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.
‘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.’
Nissan’s Sunderland plant opened in 1986 and has produced almost nine million cars since.
One in three British cars are produced in Sunderland, which is the UK’s largest car plant of all time. In addition, 80 per cent of production from Sunderland is exported to over 130 international markets.
More than two million Qashqais have been built in Sunderland in less than 10 years.
In addition to the 7,000 direct employees at Sunderland, the plant supports a further 28,000 British automotive supply chain jobs. To date, Nissan has invested more than £3.7 billion in Sunderland.
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