After last month’s announcement that its UK plant in Sunderland will produce a mainstream B-segment compact car based on the Invitation concept we saw at the 2012 Geneva Salon, Nissan today revealed that it will manufacture yet another new model at the factory from 2014.
The Japanese automaker said that the vehicle in question would be the company’s entry in the mid-size hatchback segment, or in other words, a direct rival for the Ford Focus, VW Golf and Citroen C4 models.
The new hatchback announced today will create an additional 225 jobs at Nissan and 900 at component companies supplying the automaker in Britain. The Japanese company said that together, the two new models will result in the creation of more than 3,000 new jobs in the UK automotive sector within the next two years, including 625 at Nissan and the remainder across the supply base.
Once Nissan completes recruitments for its new B- and C-segment models, its workforce at the Sunderland Plant will reach a record number of 6,225, while the factory’s annual output will surpass the 500,000 mark, or roughly as much as the entire Italian industry in 2011.
The addition of the two new cars will ultimately increase the number of models produced in Sunderland to five, including the Juke, the Qashqai’s replacement and the all-electric Leaf (from 2013).
“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,” said Nissan Chief Operating Officer, Toshiyuki Shiga.
Prime Minister, David Cameron, who visited Nissan Japanese headquarters for the announcement, 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.”
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