- First Infiniti vehicle built in Europe, expanding global manufacturing footprint
- £250m investment, new facilities and 300 newly created jobs to support premium quality
- First vehicles to be exported from Sunderland to the USA and China
Sunderland/Hong Kong – Infiniti starts production of the Q30 active compact today in Sunderland, UK, as the first vehicle officially rolls off the assembly line.
The first new Infiniti Q30 vehicles are now in production at the brand's newly-built facilities in Sunderland, UK, following a £250m investment that has created 300 new jobs.
Infiniti's first compact model, the Q30, is also the brand's first vehicle to be manufactured in Europe. As part of its global growth plan, Infiniti vehicles are now built in five plants in four countries on three continents.
Trevor Mann, Chief Performance Officer of Nissan Motor Corporation, today joins Roland Krueger, President of Infiniti Motor Company, and the 6,700-strong workforce in Sunderland to mark the latest milestone in Infiniti's global expansion.
Mann says: "Today we are beginning an exciting new chapter in the Infiniti story, and I can't think of a better place to start than here at Nissan's Sunderland plant. Over its 30 year history, Sunderland has grown into the UK's largest automotive plant. It is renowned for delivering high-quality, top-selling vehicles, and is regarded as a world-class production facility with a highly skilled and dedicated work force.
"To prepare for Q30 production, we invested 250-million pounds here in the UK. This is creating more than 1,000 new jobs in the UK automotive industry. Q30 production is further strengthening our premium vehicle manufacturing capability in Sunderland, and exports to global markets such as China and North America signal the next phase in the expansion of Infiniti and a new chapter for our UK plant."
The decision to build the Q30 in the UK was made in 2012 in recognition of the outstanding quality standards reached by the workforce in Sunderland over many years. Since then, the plant's journey to Infiniti has created a new generation of premium car builders, with an unprecedented training programme for 4,000 staff in the requirements and expectations of Infiniti customers.
The workforce also includes a select group of newly-appointed master craftspeople. At each stage of the production process, they ensure every individual Q30 meets Infiniti's premium manufacturing standards.
New production facilities covering 25,000m2 at the Sunderland plant include a 100%-automated body shop, where 134 new robots with laser-welding precision have been installed to build a highly rigid bodyshell, which makes the Q30 an exceptionally quiet car.
The second plant extension of 14,500m2 has been built for final assembly. The manufacturing process has been tailored to ensure every Q30 is made for the individual at the Trim & Chassis shop where the Infiniti operators perform 1,191 different tasks to complete each model.
Roland Krueger says: "Q30 comes at a moment of significant opportunity for Infiniti. Following a period of record global sales, we are entering a new segment with the Q30. This new active compact will play a vital role in our strategy to become a top tier global premium brand."
Instrumental in the development of the Infiniti Q30 were the brand's European design and technical centres in Paddington and Cranfield, UK respectively. With an expanding network of Infiniti Retail Centres in the UK, the introduction of Q30 manufacturing in Sunderland demonstrates the brand's strong commitment to the UK.
Infiniti is the first new car brand to be manufactured on this scale in the UK in 23 years, supported by a £9.2m grant from the UK Government through the Regional Growth Fund.
For more information, images and videos about the Q30 start of production ceremony, please visit www.infinitiq30news.com. All assets are available for download, registration-free.
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About Infiniti:
Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in over 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States and China. Production in the UK starts in 2015, bringing with it significant expansion of the brand’s portfolio. Infiniti plans to also expand manufacturing into Mexico by 2017.
As the Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Infiniti has a far-reaching technical collaboration with the four-time FIA Formula One World Championship winning Team.
More information about Infiniti and its industry leading technologies can be found at www.infiniti.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
About Nissan in the UK
- Sunderland Plant produces the Infiniti Q30 and QX30 alongside Nissan Qashqai, Note and Juke and the 100% electric Nissan LEAF
- Total plant volume since 1986 stands at more than eight million units with 80 per cent of production exported to over 100 markets worldwide
- Total investment made and announced since 1986 is over £3.5 billion
- 500,237 units were produced at Sunderland plant in 2014
- In 2014, one in three cars built in the UK was made at the Sunderland plant
- Sunderland Plant currently employs more than 6,700 people