Engineering news
The first Infiniti Q30 active concept has rolled off the production line in Sunderland, UK.
The manufacturer launched the production at its newly built facilities following a £250m investment that has created 300 new jobs.
The Q30 is Infiniti's first compact model and the brand's first vehicle to be manufactured in Europe. The model is aimed at competing with top brands such as Mercedes, Lexus, Audi and BMW, and will be exported to China and the US, among other markets, in a bid to mark the latest milestone in Infiniti's global expansion.
Trevor Mann, Chief Performance Officer of Nissan Motor Corporation, spoke at the launch of the Q30. He said: 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 workforce.”
To prepare for Q30 production, we invested £250 million here in the UK. This is creating more than 1,00 new jobs in the UK automotive industry. Q30 production is further strengthening our premium vehicle manufacturing capability in Sunderland, and exports in global markets such as China and North American signal the next phase in expansion of Infiniti and a new chapter for our UK plant.”
New production facilities covering 25,000 metres squared 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 body shell.
The second plant extension of 14,500 square metres has been built for final assembly. The manufacturing process has been tailored to ensure every Q30 is made for the individual customer at the Trim & Chasis shop where the manufacturer's operators perform 1,191 different tasks to complete each mode;.
Roland Krueger, President of Infiniti, said: 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.”