Infiniti starts production of the All New Q30 Active Compact at Sunderland along with its Nissan brand.

• First new car brand to be manufactured on this scale in the UK in 23 years
• 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

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, one of the reasons that sound levels in the Q30’s cabin are exceptionally low.

After the Q30 is welded,it is integrated onto the plant’s Line 2 for painting and final assembly, where a second plant extension of 14,500m² has been built. 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.

The UK’s Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, says: “Our automotive sector is the most productive in Europe and that is no small part down to the way government and industry have worked together to develop advanced manufacturing. Today’s announcement demonstrates the strengths of the Northern Powerhouse, with Nissan Sunderland producing models never made outside Japan, China or the US.

“The £250 million investment has not only secured 300 highly-skilled jobs but will also boost our exports, even more so once the premium Infiniti QX30 model goes into production next year.”

First new brand, to produce full scale production, in the UK, in 23 years, that will be INFINITI and the Q30.

• Recruitment starts ahead of Q30 production start
• Next phase of Infiniti’s global expansion set to begin

With the arrival of the all-new Infiniti Q30 approaching, recruitment has started for 300 new jobs required to support the brand’s first ever entry into the premium compact segment.

The new manufacturing posts have been created at Infiniti’s newest global production base in Sunderland, UK, as preparations gather pace for the launch of the Q30, Infiniti’s premium compact entry for global markets and the brand’s first vehicle to be built in Europe.

Representing a £250 million investment in the UK, plant extensions totalling over 25,000 m²  have already been added to the existing facilities in Sunderland, including a new Body Shop and an expanded Trim and Chassis vehicle assembly line.

The new recruits will join the company ahead of the start of production of Q30 later this year, when Infiniti will become the first new car brand to start manufacturing in the UK on such a scale in 23 years.

Colin Lawther, Senior Vice President for Manufacturing, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management in Europe, said: “Infiniti production heralds the beginning of a new era for our operations in the UK, and the demands of premium vehicle manufacturing requires significant additions to the team.

“It is a fantastic time to be joining the company, as we prepare to launch Infiniti’s first premium compact entry for global markets. In return we’ll be looking for people who share the same obsession for detail and commitment to quality as our highly-skilled workforce in Sunderland.”

The current recruitment drive is higher than the 180 direct jobs originally announced in 2012 as a result of Infiniti allocation to the Nissan Motor Co. facility in the UK. It will take the company’s Sunderland workforce to just below 6,800, supporting an estimated further 28,000 jobs in the UK automotive supply chain.

The production start of the Infiniti Q30 at Sunderland will be closely followed by a second Infiniti model, the QX30, a new premium compact crossover. Both vehicles are integral to Infiniti’s commitment to expand its portfolio and offer a broader range of products to its customers.

Infiniti had a record-breaking 2014 with global sales of more than 186,200 vehicles, up 13.5% from the previous year. The company reached all-time high results in 19 markets around the world last year, becoming one of the fastest growing premium brands in a number of key regions and markets such as China, Western Europe, the Middle East and Mexico.

The Q30 and QX30 will not only be the first premium models manufactured in Sunderland, but also the first to be exported from Sunderland to the North American and Chinese markets.

Nissan Sunderland Expands to assemble new Infiniti Model

• Groundbreaking ceremony takes place at Sunderland Plant
• Infiniti’s global expansion gathering momentum
• Major £250m investment will create 1,000 jobs

Construction of the first Infiniti production facilities in Europe begins today in Sunderland, UK.

Part of an overall £250m investment in the UK, a groundbreaking ceremony was performed today by Executive Vice President Trevor Mann, and Fintan Knight, Vice President for Infiniti Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Mann said: “Securing the Infiniti Q30 for production at Sunderland was a tremendous achievement by the workforce and reflects the quality levels which they have reached. The existing Sunderland plant is already the largest in UK automotive history and this £250m investment will move the plant even further up the value chain and reconfirm our commitment to their future.”

Knight said whilst addressing visiting dignitaries, UK suppliers and plant staff at the ceremony: “This is a significant step for the Infiniti brand as we establish manufacturing here. The design centre in Paddington, the Technical Centre in Cranfield and the ongoing partnership with the Infiniti Red Bull Racing team in Milton Keynes testify to our strong link with the UK. Our investment here amplifies the brand’s presence in Europe, one of the key markets for Infiniti, but provides clear intent as we gear up for sales of the compact premium Q30 in 2015.  Infiniti is committed to growing its product offering over the coming years as we challenge the traditional premium offerings.”

Trevor Mann and Fintan Knight performed the groundbreaking ceremony with the aid of a specialist digger provided by construction partner Sir Robert McAlpine, indicative of a relationship which dates back to the establishment of the Sunderland Plant in 1984.

The new facilities, for the Q30 body assembly (Body Shop) and final assembly (Trim and Chassis),will cover 25,000m2 of new production space, with construction and facility installation due to be completed in time for the Q30 launch in 2015. The new Body Shop facilities will enable assembly of the Q30’s premium platform, while the Trim and Chassis extension will include a new engine installation facility.

Infiniti will become the first new car brand to be manufactured in the UK on this scale for 23 years.  The expansion is set to create 1,000 jobs at Sunderland and in its UK suppliers, including 280 new jobs at the Sunderland Plant, with the company’s Design Centre in Paddington and Technical Centre in Cranfield also involved in the Q30’s development.