Nissan to ramp up Qashqai Production in the UK
Published Date: 7th Apr 2016
£22m to be invested for increase of Nissan Qashqai capacity by 2017
Demand for Qashqai is higher than supply levels, despite record-breaking production levels
Nissan line-up autonomous technology from next year
After 10 years of massive demand, Nissan has today announced their intention to step up production of their best-selling crossover the Qasqai and further strengthen the Nissan Qashqai’s position as the biggest-selling suv/crossover in the whole of Europe.
Nissan are struggling to keep pace with the continued growth of the suv/crossover segment that they basically wrote the book on with the release of the Nissan Qashqai, even with record production of 300,000 cars every year on Line 1 at the Nissan’s Sunderland Plant, at a rate of one car every single minute.
Nissan engineers are now preparing to increase supply to Europe by increasing Line 2 capacity in Sunderland to introduce additional Qashqai production, an additional investment of £22m will be injected.
The first New Nissan Qashqai’s are scheduled for production in late 2016, ahead before the next stage in Qashqai’s development in 2017 when it becomes the first Nissan in Europe to feature autonomous ‘Piloted Drive’ technology.
Colin Lawther, Nissan’s Senior Vice President for Manufacturing, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management in Europe, announced: “When the first Qashqai came off the line in 2006 it created the crossover segment. Today it remains the benchmark for European customers for its dynamic styling, exciting driving experience and innovative technology.
“Through innovative engineering and productivity improvements, my colleagues in Sunderland have broken production records to keep pace with demand, but our new generation Qashqai has reached a tipping point.
“This additional capacity will give us free supply of Qashqai for the first time, ahead of the launch of a refreshed Qashqai equipped with Piloted Drive technology from next year.”#
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Nissan are manufacturing the new Qashqai and the full-electric Nissan LEAF, the world’s second best-selling electric vehicle after Tesla’s model S, on Line 1 in Sunderland, which operates on a three-shift basis. Line 2 production currently includes the Nissan Juke B-segment crossover, Nissan Note and Infiniti Q30 premium compact, and operates on a two-shift rotation and that’s how it will remain for now.
The Nissan Sunderland plant is celebrating its 30th this year and the facility, which has grown to become the largest UK car plant of all-time, employing just under 40,000 Britain’s and producing one in three of all cars made in Britain.
Thanks to Nissan’s UK-based design and technical centres, vehicles like Qashqai are designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK and exported from Sunderland to over 130 markets.
Nissan’s Qashqai and many other models are designed, engineered and produced in the UK. As Nissan’s European design centre is also located in the UK, the cars produced at Sunderland are exported to more than 130 countries round the World.