Nissan is to build a new hatchback compact car in Britain, in a £125m sterling investment that will create 2,000 jobs, the Japanese car giant said today.
The new vehicle, called 'Invitation', will be built at Nissan's Sunderland plant in northeastern England from mid-2013. The project will alsoe receive a British government grant of £9.3m, the firm said in a statement.
"As well as playing a key role in Nissan's market expansion within Europe, the new model will also have a significant benefit in terms of jobs with around 2,000 new posts created at Nissan and amongst its UK supplier base," it added.
The hatchback car, which will compete with models such as the Ford Fiesta and the VW Polo, was unveiled today at the Geneva Motor Show by Nissan executive vice president Andy Palmer.
Today's announcement will cement Sunderland's place as the largest car factory in Britain - a position it has held for the last 14 years.
The Sunderland plant produced more than 480,000 cars last year, a record high for a British plant, as the group was boosted by strong demand for its Qashqai, Juke and Note car models, many of which are sold outside of Britain. Nissan plans to build up to 100,000 Invitation cars a year.
