Infiniti to start production of an all-new premium compact car at Nissan’s Sunderland UK factory

Colin-Dodge-with-Infiniti-Etherea

Infiniti, Nissan’s premium offshoot, has confirmed that it will manufacture vehicles in Europe from Nissan’s production base in Sunderland, UK. The announcement represents an investment of around £250 million into the facility and is expected to secure a further 1,000 jobs at Sunderland and across the UK.

Colin Dodge CBE, Nissan Motor Co Ltd’s executive VP and chief performance officer, said: “This milestone, our first premium product to be manufactured at Sunderland, reconfirms our commitment to UK manufacturing and the ongoing success of the plant, which is moving up the value chain.

“Just as important, the new Infiniti, which will be exported around the world, is being developed with help from our London design centre and our European Technical Centre at Cranfield.”

The all-new “premium entry compact” Infiniti model is expected to be produced from 2015 and will allow the brand to compete within the heart of the premium segment for the first time, underlining Infiniti’s ambition to be a major global rival to the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Lexus. All of those brands have cars smaller than the smallest Infiniti, the G range.

When production begins, Infiniti will be the first new car brand to be manufactured in the UK on this scale in 23 years. Sunderland, which builds the Qashqai, Qashqai+2, Juke and Note, will have the capacity to produce 60,000 Infiniti cars per year.

The announcement coincides with the news that this year, Sunderland will produce more than half a million cars for the first time – the first manufacturer to achieve this milestone in the UK. Global exports from the plant now exceed five million units.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • Compact luxury car?? Must be contender to the Lexus CT200h..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 3
  • Jimmy on Dec 20, 2012 at 5:15 pm

    What are the musts of premium compacts?
    Is telescopic steering available already in Infinity?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Premium Entry Car on Dec 20, 2012 at 5:52 pm

    Premium Entry Compact? Come to Malaysia and it will become “Premium Luxury Compact”.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Sam Loo on Dec 20, 2012 at 6:40 pm

    I hope the Sunderland factory can give tuition to ETCM and teach them to release cars on time. ETCM releases models like several years late. Why are Malaysians always compromised? We get not only low grade CKD quality, adding to that, we get models few years after they have been launched in Singapore.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
  • pak long on Dec 21, 2012 at 7:47 am

    ETCM sucks. Profit oriented, nothing else.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • casey on Dec 21, 2012 at 9:30 pm

      edaran Tan may have difficulty getting AP to bring in latest model, when their AP approved, Nissan model already outdated.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
 

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