Nissan investing £170m in Sunderland plant to build new model for Europe

Nissan has announced plans to launch a new model in Europe and will invest £170 million to build it at its Sunderland plant in the UK, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary.

The Nissan Kicks – a compact (B-segment) crossover – features Nissan’s e-Power hybrid technology and will be manufactured in Sunderland, alongside the Qashqai, Juke and Leaf.

The second-generation Kicks model is currently built in Japan, Mexico and Brazil for sale globally. Bringing production to Sunderland will mark the model’s European debut.

It will be the tenth model to be built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant, which has now built 12 million vehicles since the first Nissan Bluebird rolled off the production line in 1986.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said the announcement is “another vote of confidence in UK automotive manufacturing”.

“Today’s announcement is a major boost for Nissan Sunderland, the thousands of highly skilled jobs it supports and the wider local supply chain,” he added.

Nissan also plans to next week unveil a new A-segment small electric car, called the Pixo.