Infiniti gears up for work in Europe
Infiniti production in Europe is moving closer after approval was given to build a major new extension to the record-breaking production facility in Sunderland.
Aerial picture showing the Nissan plant in Sunderland.
This new production area, designed to manufacture the first Infiniti ever built in Europe, will cover 25 000 m2 and will house specialist equipment in the body and final assembly areas of the production line.
This extension forms part of the previously announced £250m (R4bn) investment by Infiniti which will create over 1 000 new jobs in the UK automotive industry.
The Q30 Concept vehicle, which will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week, reveals a design vision of the future European production model.
“The Q30 Concept signals the next step in our strategy to significantly extend into new premium segments – and the production car will fully deliver on the concept’s promise”, said Fintan Knight, Vice-President of Infiniti Europe. “The compact segment is crucial for our future growth plans and the decision to invest and build the vehicle in the UK further underlines our long term commitment to Europe.”
Construction work at Sunderland is due to start in the coming weeks.
Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan’s Vice-President for Manufacturing in the UK, said: “The arrival of Infiniti will mark a new chapter in our operations in Sunderland. The Q30 Concept represents a new direction for this premium segment and for the Infiniti brand. Equally, this expansion reflects how Infiniti production will enhance ma-nufacturing capability not only in our operations, but throughout our supply chain.”
The plant cemented its place as the biggest UK car factory by surpassing 500 000 vehicles built last year.
