NISSAN ANNOUNCES NEW VEHICLE -Small Crossover-FOR SUNDERLAND PLANT

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., today announced that it will source an innovative all-new compact car from its Sunderland plant in the United Kingdom (UK), starting in 2010. Building on the success of the Qashqai, the all-new product will reinforce Sunderland’s role as manufacturer and exporter of high-value products.
The decision was announced following a visit today by the British Prime Minister, the Right Honorable Gordon Brown, to Nissan’s European Design Centre in central London where he met Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO, Nissan Motor Co.
The Prime Minister said, "Nissan is a global manufacturer with strong roots in Britain and I'm pleased to welcome Nissan's new investment in the UK. Today's announcement that a brand new car is to be designed and built in the UK is another important boost to our manufacturing industry, and builds upon Nissan's recent commitments to increase investment and jobs at its record breaking Sunderland plant.

"Sunderland's success shows what an innovative, talented and highly committed workforce can achieve, and reaffirms the UK's position as a strong player in the global car industry," he added.
Carlos Ghosn said, “By delivering on tough commitments, our employees at Sunderland have demonstrated our plant can be a globally competitive centre for the production of high-value products. We are encouraged by the proactive support shown by the British government to decide new products for the Sunderland plant.”
The all-new vehicle will be an addition to the current Nissan range and for the Sunderland plant, and it will take up the manufacturing capacity created when production of the current version of the Micra ends in 2010.


Next generation Micra
Nissan will compete in the entry-car market with a dedicated new A platform that will be used for at least three models, including the next generation of Micra, and will be built in five Leading Competitive Countries (LCCs).
Production sites for this family of compact cars will include the new plant in Chennai, India, being constructed by the Renault-Nissan Alliance. The development of a competitive A platform is one of several business breakthroughs announced as part of Nissan GT 2012, the company’s new five-year business plan.
The Nissan plant in Sunderland produced a record 374,000 vehicles in fiscal year 2007. Nissan is the largest vehicle exporter from the UK, with around 80% of

Nissan calls claim of end for Micra production at Sunderland 'speculation'

A spokesman at Nissan's Sunderland plant has told AutomotiveWorld.com that the company does not wish to comment on a newspaper report which claims there will be no UK build of the next generation Micra. According to the Sunday Times, which quotes Nissan's chief executive, even with the assistance of a recently weaker pound, the company loses money building the small car at Sunderland. Apart from the UK, most of the model's markets are in the euro zone."There will be changes at Sunderland. The plant is efficient and, with the pound declining, becoming more cost-competitive," Ghosn is quoted by the newspaper as saying. "The Micra is competing against cars made in low-cost countries. It is not profitable in Europe, but the Qashqai is."
David Swerdlow from Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK called the Sunday Times report "speculative", adding that the company is "not in a position to comment on our future model allocation strategy at this time".In January, Nissan announced plans to expand Qashqai production at Sunderland, while last month came news of a new long wheelbase derivative to be launched at July's London motor show.Nissan says its facility in England's northeast achieved record annual production volume of 353,000 units of Qashqai, Note, Micra and Micra C+C in 2007, surpassing its previous high of 332,000 set in 2003, but does not state if the plant is profitable overall.The replacement for the Nissan March (X02A) is due in Japan in April 2009, giving the current car a long model life, the third generation series having premiered at the Tokyo motor show in October 2001. Build is again expected to be at the Oppama plant. As yet there is no news on whether Micra-badged cars will be sourced from this Japanese facility or whether models for Europe will be built elsewhere.

source:automotive news