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Sunderland factory to build new luxury Infiniti hatchback
THE quality of Britain's car industry is 'strong', according to Business Secretary Vince Cable, after Nissan announced its luxury car brand Infiniti will use Sunderland as its base to produce its first compact car.Around 60,000 models of the £20,000 compact Infiniti could be produced every year from 2015 and Nissan hopes to target the heart of the upmarket car sector.
The Infiniti Etherea is a concept car but now the brand aims to compete with big players using the giant facilities for volume manfacturing in Sunderland. It marks the next chapter in the success of the UK's largest car factory. News that annual production at the plant has this year exceeded 500,000 vehicles - an all-time record for any British factory - will provide a welcome confidence boost to the workers and automotive industry as a whole.
Nissan says it is the first new car brand to be manufactured in the UK on this scale in 23 years.
Attending a ceremony at Sunderland, Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "Sunderland will be the only place in the world to make this new premium compact car. Nissan in the UK goes from strength to strength. Not only will the new car be made here and exported all over the world, but the UK has already contributed to its design and development."
The company says its £250m investment will create an additional 1,000 jobs across Britain, including 280 at the Sunderland plant.
The Yorkshire-born 69-year-old added: "Today's news is a strong endorsement of the quality of Britain's car industry, which is creating jobs, taking on apprentices and contributing to building a stronger economy."
Colin Dodge CBE, Nissan's Executive Vice President, 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.
"The new Infiniti will be exported around the world and is being developed with help from our London design centre and our European Technical Centre at Cranfield."
David Cameron said it is 'excellent news for the North East and another vote of confidence for UK manufacturing.'
The prime minister went on to explain: "The continued success of Nissan in the UK demonstrates the strength of the car industry here, and its importance, as we rebalance and grow the economy. It shows how the car industry continues to win important long term investment projects, in a tough competitive sector, helping the UK to get ahead in the global race."
The Sunderland factory will continue to produce current models but also the eagerly anticipated fully-electric Nissan Leaf, in addition to the new Nissan Note and the next-generation Qashqai.
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