Nissan has announced that production of a new hatchback model is to come to the UK.
The Japanese car maker revealed yesterday that it intends to produce a new medium sized hatch, yet to be named, from its plant in Sunderland from 2014. The announcement comes as the UK Prime Minister David Cameron visits the firm’s Yokohama headquarters in Japan as part of his tour of Asia.
It follows the announcement at last month’s Geneva Motor Show that Sunderland will also produce a B-segment compact car, based on its Invitation concept from next year.
The new medium hatch announced this week, will create an additional 225 jobs at Nissan and around 900 at component companies, which supply to the firm’s UK base.
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.
Details of the new hatch are expected to be revealed closer to its sales launch. Production capacity for the new model will be around 80,000 units triggering the need for Sunderland Plant to implement an additional shift. This will see both production lines operating ‘around the clock’ for the first time in the plant’s 26-year history, a move which will take manufacturing capacity beyond 550,000 units.
The new hatch also represents an additional £127 million investment by Nissan in its Sunderland operation and, crucially, is supported by an offer of £8.2 million Regional Growth Fund from the UK Government.
Prime Minister, David Cameron, commented: “It is fantastic news that Nissan will be building their new hatchback model in the UK and that they expect to create more than 1000 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.”
