Richard Yarrow's opinion for startrescue.co.uk, providing low cost Breakdown Assistance
Wednesday's news that Nissan is to build the next generation of its Qashqai crossover vehicle in the UK is undoubtedly excellent news. In the short-to-medium term it safeguards thousands of jobs, and not just the ones in the Sunderland area where the car is actually built (pictured, above). The announcement is also good news for people employed at automotive component supply firms all over the UK.
In the long-term it also signals the Japanese giant’s commitment to continue investing in its UK infrastructure. On the back of earlier news that European versions of the Leaf EV will be built on the same site, plus batteries for the car as well, it’s a real boost for what’s traditionally seen as an area of the country with a history of employment problems.
The Qashqai has been a surprisingly big hit for Nissan. When bosses revealed they were ditching the long-standing Primera and wouldn’t be building another saloon/hatchback/estate to compete with the might of the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Vectra/Insignia, there was universal surprise. The D-segment is an established sector of the market and massively important to many vehicle manufacturers because these are popular ‘company car’ choices. But hats off to Nissan, it was the right decision. Sunderland will produce its one millionth Qashqai later this month, with more than 80 per cent of current production exported to 97 markets worldwide. And everybody has, wisely, pretty much forgotten about the Primera.