Nissan commits £170 million to produce new hybrid SUV at Sunderland plant

Nissan confirmed a £170 million investment to launch production of its Kicks e-POWER hybrid small SUV at the Sunderland assembly site, where it already builds the Qashqai, Juke and electric Leaf. No specific production timeline was disclosed. The funding arrives amid a wider restructuring that has seen plant closures, job reductions and the cancellation of an electric Qashqai variant, sparking worries about the future of Britain’s largest car plant.

Nissan has also been exploring the rental of one of Sunderland’s two production lines to fast-growing Chinese automaker Chery. The British government is in advanced talks to provide financial support tied to a long-term commitment from Nissan, and business minister Jonathan Reynolds described the decision as a strong vote of confidence in the UK’s automotive sector. The article used an exchange rate of $1 = 0.7422 pounds.