ANNIE ALLEN (UK Bureau Chief)
Japanese automaker Nissan is injecting £170 million ($229 million) into its Sunderland assembly plant to build a new hybrid small SUV for the European market, delivering a major boost to Britain’s automotive manufacturing future.
The company announced on Wednesday that the Kicks e-POWER hybrid will join the Qashqai, Juke and electric Leaf on Sunderland’s production lines.
Nissan, however, did not disclose when production of the new model would begin.
The investment comes as the automaker battles mounting pressure to slash costs, restructure operations and secure the future of its UK manufacturing operations.
The Sunderland plant, Britain’s largest car assembly facility, has faced growing uncertainty amid Nissan’s restructuring programme, which has involved plant closures, job cuts and the shelving of some future models, including the electric Qashqai.
The new investment is therefore being seen as a significant development for the plant and its workforce.
Nissan said in June that it was exploring renting one of Sunderland’s two production lines to Chinese automaker Chery, which is expanding rapidly in the global automotive market.
The move could see Chery build vehicles at the UK facility, potentially reshaping Sunderland’s production landscape.
Meanwhile, the British government has been in advanced talks with Nissan over financial support in exchange for a long-term commitment to the plant and further investment.
Reacting to the announcement, Britain’s Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds described the decision as “a huge vote of confidence in the UK’s manufacturing expertise and automotive future.”
The Kicks e-POWER is expected to strengthen Nissan’s hybrid SUV offering in Europe while providing fresh momentum for Sunderland’s role in the company’s global manufacturing strategy.
©Copyright MOTORING WORLD INTERNATIONAL. All rights reserved. Materials, photographs, illustrations and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior written permission from Motoring World International
Contact: editor@motoringworldng.com
