Nissan in £170 million Kicks Sunderland plant move

Car maker Nissan has unveiled £170 million plans to make a new vehicle at its Sunderland factory.

The manufacturer is set to roll the Kicks hybrid model off its Wearside production line.

Bosses say the “fantastic” move marks “a huge vote of confidence in the UK's manufacturing expertise”.

They add the investment will introduce the Kicks model – which has been made in Japan, Mexico and Brazil, and racked up 1.8 million sales across more than 70 countries – to European markets.

According to the company’s blueprint, the Sunderland-built Kicks model will use hybrid technology that combines an electric motor powered by a petrol engine that generates electricity and recharges an on-board battery.

It will add to a roster of models made at Nissan’s 40-year-old sprawling Wearside base that began with the Bluebird in 1986 and has since included the Qashqai, Juke, Micra, Almera, Note, Primera and luxury brand Infiniti and the all-electric Leaf.

Massimiliano Messina, regional chair at Nissan – which was earlier this year named the North East’s number one company by turnover at Bdaily publisher NET’s annual NET 250 ceremony – said: “This is fantastic news for our European region.

“It demonstrates the agility and speed with which we can bring new models to new markets.”

Welcoming the investment – which came on the same day supercar maker McLaren unveiled £500 million UK growth plans – Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said it would help Westminster’s ambition to “deliver good growth, investment and skilled jobs in every postcode”.

He added: “Nissan has been at the heart of British manufacturing for four decades.

“Its Sunderland plant has produced millions of vehicles that have supported thousands of skilled jobs and helped establish the North East as a global automotive powerhouse.”

Paul Butler, chief executive of the North East Automotive Alliance industry-led cluster organisation, said Kicks’ arrival was further proof of the area’s reputation as “one of Europe’s leading automotive regions”.

He added: “Nissan’s continued commitment to Sunderland is not only a celebration of 40 years of success; it is also a clear statement the region remains a competitive and attractive location for future automotive investment.”

The Kicks plan comes after Nissan signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Chery International UK to investigate a Sunderland factory partnership.

The carmaker operates a London design centre and a Bedfordshire research and development hub alongside its Wearside base.

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.