Production of the Infiniti Q30 premium hatchback begins at the Nissan plant in Sunderland, the first new-car brand to be manufactured on this scale in the U.K. in 23 years.
The first Infiniti Q30s assembled at the newly built £250 million ($376 million) facility 285 miles (460 km) north of London will be exported to the U.S. and China.
It is the brand’s first model to be manufactured in Europe, and Infiniti vehicles now are built in five plants in four countries on three continents.
The decision to build the Q30 in the U.K. was made in 2012 and the plant since then has conducted training for 4,000 staff in the requirements and expectations of Infiniti customers. The training program received a £9.2 million ($13.8 million) grant from the U.K. government.
The workforce includes a group of newly appointed master craftspeople who ensure every Q30 meets Infiniti’s manufacturing standards at each stage of the production process.
New production facilities covering 269,100 sq.-ft. (25,000 sq.-m) at the Sunderland plant include a 100%-automated body shop where 134 new robots with laser-welding precision have been installed to build a rigid bodyshell.
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 156,076 sq.-ft. (14,500 sq.-m) has been built.
The manufacturing process has been tailored to ensure every Q30 is made for the individual at the trim and chassis shop where operators perform 1,191 different tasks to complete each model.
Infiniti President Roland Krueger says the Q30 comes at a moment of significant opportunity: “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.”
