Nissan is investing £170 million into its Sunderland plant to begin production of the Kicks crossover for European, UK, and Turkish markets. The model will feature the company's third-generation E-Power hybrid system, which uses a 1.4-liter gasoline engine as a generator to power an electric motor.
The Sunderland facility, which celebrates its 40th anniversary, has produced over 11 million vehicles since 1986. It currently employs approximately 6,000 people. The plant already manufactures the Qashqai and Juke models, both of which utilize the E-Power hybrid technology.
Nissan plans to consolidate the production of the Kicks, Qashqai, Juke, and Leaf models onto a single assembly line at the Sunderland site. This strategy follows the company's decision to cancel plans for an all-electric version of the Qashqai, focusing instead on its existing hybrid and EV lineup.
Globally, Nissan has sold over 1.9 million E-Power vehicles since 2016. The Kicks, which has sold 1.8 million units worldwide since its debut a decade ago, will now join the Qashqai and Juke as the third electrified B-segment crossover produced by the company in the United Kingdom.
