Japanese car maker Nissan has announced that its all-new mid-sized hatchback will be produced at its Sunderland plant in the UK.
The as-yet unnamed new medium hatchback will create an additional 225 jobs at Nissan and 900 jobs at component companies supplying Nissan in the UK. The car will be manufactured from 2014.
The news follows the announcement at last month's Geneva Motor Show that Sunderland will also produce a mainstream B-segment compact car based on Nissan’s Invitation concept from next year.
Combined, both models will result in more than 3,000 new jobs being created in the UK automotive sector within the next two years: 625 at Nissan and the remainder across the supply base, the company said.
Once recruitment for both models is complete, the Sunderland Plant workforce will stand at a record 6,225, supporting an overall annual plant volume of more than half a million units.
The announcement was made by David Cameron and Nissan’s COO Toshiyuki Shiga during a visit to Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. The new model represents a £127 million investment by Nissan in its Sunderland operation, supported by £8.2 million from the UK government.
Commenting, Toshiyuki Shiga said: "In Europe Nissan has achieved record growth in recent years by providing innovative, customer-focused models like Qashqai and Juke that are designed, developed and produced within the region. Nissan already produces more vehicles in Europe than any other Asian manufacturer and the model announced today will bring world-class quality and leading technology to our customers at the heart of the European C-segment.
"I would also like to thank the UK government for its strong and sustained support which allows us to continue making significant, long-term investment in our Sunderland operation."
David Cameron added: "It is fantastic news that Nissan will be building their new hatchback model in the UK and that they expect to create more than 1,000 jobs at the Sunderland plant and in the supply chain across the country. It's proof of the strength and vitality of the British manufacturing industry that leading companies like Nissan are expanding their production in the UK.
"I've already seen first hand the tremendous work at the Nissan Sunderland plant and it's great to be visiting the company's headquarters in Yokohama today. Nissan's investment in the UK is a huge vote of confidence in the skills and flexibility of the UK workforce. We want to attract more investment like this and that's why we're encouraging foreign companies with incentives like the Regional Growth Fund."
Nissan said the new model marks its return to the mainstream medium segment in Europe and will play a major role in the company's continued expansion under its ‘Nissan Power 88’ mid-term plan.
Nissan’s Sunderland plant has been the UK's largest car manufacturer since 1998.
