Nissan backs Brexit Britain with £400m

NISSAN is ploughing £400m into its Sunderland car plant in a vote of confidence in Brexit Britain.

The Japanese car maker yesterday unveiled a £52m production press line – the investment centre-piece – which will build the new Qashqai SUV.

The tailor-made, 2,000-tonne press has taken 18 months to install and is due to start producing Qashqais in 2021.

The commitment will be welcomed by the Sunderland plant’s 7,000 workforce, which also help produce Juke and Leaf models.

Nissan had repeatedly said Brexit could threaten the future of its British operations if the UK leaves the eU without a trade deal, as this would impose a 10pc tariff on cars.

Although leaving without a deal is unlikely, it is still possible. In the run-up to Brexit deadlines last year, Nissan joined other car makers in warning that any delays at borders would also put the industry’s ‘just-in-time’ business model at risk.

Nissan has struggled financially in the wake of the ousting of its former boss Carlos Ghosn. Last month, Nissan reported a third- quarter loss of £183m – down from a profit of £510m a year earlier.

Vehicle sales fell in Japan, the US, europe and China, where turnover is likely to have tumbled since January in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Ashwani Gupta, the company’s operations chief, said: ‘When the first Nissan Qashqai rolled off the line in Sunderland in 2006 it created the crossover segment.

‘Designed, engineered and made in the UK, and more than 3m vehicles later it remains the benchmark.’

Steve Bush, of the union Unite, said the reaffirmation of the £400m investment ‘ is a welcome confidence booster and a big vote of confidence in the workforce.’