A third production shift will be re-introduced at Nissan’s Sunderland plant creating 400 fixed-term jobs the company announced today. The move has been made in response to demand for the Qashqai which has sold over 500,000 units since launch it launched in 2007.
The 400 fixed-term contracts are expected to be maintained for nearly six months, covering the production of a re-vamped Qashqai coming in spring 2010. The Qashqai reflects the range of expertise in the UK motor industry, being created at Nissan’s design studio in London, developed at its technical centre in Cranfield and manufactured in Sunderland. Nearly 80% of all Nissan cars sold in the UK are produced in Sunderland, the UK’s largest car producer and exporter.
The UK motor industry endured a challenging 2009 and set for another tough year in 2010. December 2009 car production figures showed a rise of 58.5%, demonstrating the positive effects of the scrappage scheme and the beginning of stability across global automotive markets however forecasts for the 2010 market are still below 2009 levels.
