Nissan to build new Kicks e-POWER hybrid in Sunderland with £170m investment
Nissan will invest £170m to build an all-new Kicks compact crossover at its Sunderland plant, giving the e-POWER hybrid model its European debut in a facility marking 40 years of production.
- £170m
- More than 1.8 million
- 12 million
- Around 6,000
What Happened
Nissan has announced plans to launch a new model in Europe and will invest £170m to build it at its UK plant in Sunderland, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary. The model is the Nissan Kicks, a compact B-segment crossover featuring Nissan's e-POWER hybrid technology, and it will be manufactured alongside the Qashqai, Juke and LEAF. The second-generation Kicks is currently built in Japan, Mexico and Brazil for global sale, and the model has surpassed 1.8 million units sold in more than 70 countries. This announcement heralds its European debut, adding a further e-POWER hybrid model to the range. Kicks is the second product update from Nissan in Europe this month, following the announcement of a new A-segment small electric car called PIXO, to be unveiled next week.
What makes e-POWER unique is that the wheels are driven solely by a powerful electric motor, while the petrol engine is used only to generate electricity and recharge the on-board battery, so drivers get EV-style refinement, instant response and smooth, linear acceleration with the familiarity of filling up at a petrol station. Sunderland already builds e-POWER hybrid versions of the Qashqai, and more than 1.9 million e-POWER hybrid models have been sold globally since the technology launched in 2016, including 200,000 Qashqai e-POWER models built in the UK. Kicks will use the third-generation system launched in 2025, comprehensively re-engineered for better fuel efficiency, lower emissions and elevated refinement, and it will be produced for customers in the UK, Europe and Turkey. Kicks will be the tenth model built at the Sunderland plant, and Nissan also has a design centre in Paddington, London and a research and development site in Cranfield, Bedfordshire.
The first Nissan Bluebird rolls off the Sunderland production line.
Nissan's e-POWER hybrid technology launches; more than 1.9 million e-POWER models have been sold globally since.
The third-generation e-POWER system launches, re-engineered for better fuel efficiency, lower emissions and elevated refinement.
Sunderland marks its 40th anniversary, passes 12 million vehicles built and is allocated the new Kicks with £170m of investment.
Sunderland will also manufacture the all-new, third-generation Nissan JUKE, which for the first time will be 100% electric.
“This is fantastic news for our European region and demonstrates the agility and speed with which we can bring new models to new markets. Kicks is a compact crossover, with the unique e-POWER hybrid drivetrain, exciting design and innovative technology. Electrification with choice is what European customers want, and the introduction of Kicks will further demonstrate how Nissan has options for all.”
“Nissan has been at the heart of British manufacturing for four decades, with Sunderland producing millions of vehicles that supported thousands of skilled jobs and helped establish the North East as a global automotive powerhouse. The decision to build this new model in Sunderland is a huge vote of confidence in the UK's manufacturing expertise and automotive future. I'm excited in what our partnership with industry can achieve so this Government delivers good growth, investment and skilled jobs in every postcode.”
“I'm proud to welcome this new model allocation for Sunderland. It's the perfect way to celebrate our 40th year as a world-class manufacturing site. We look forward to seeing Kicks e-POWER hybrid going down the production line with our electrified line up of Qashqai, Juke and LEAF.”
- The UK's largest single-site car manufacturing plant, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year
- Has built 12 million vehicles since the first Nissan Bluebird rolled off the line in 1986, on average one car every 1 minute 45 seconds
- Supported by £5 billion of investment and building vehicles for more than 100 markets worldwide
- Employs around 6,000 people directly and supports a further 30,000 jobs in the supply chain
- Kicks is the 10th model allocated to Sunderland since 1986, following the Bluebird, Primera, Micra, Almera, Note, Infiniti Q30, JUKE, Qashqai and LEAF
Previously from Nissan
Nissan had already confirmed Pixo as the name of a new all-electric city car for Europe, reviving a badge from its past and sharing Renault Group's small-EV underpinnings. That model is to be fully unveiled on 23 September.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Nissan's official releases.
Why this matters
The £170m investment ties Nissan's European model rollout to its Sunderland factory, which employs around 6,000 people directly and supports a further 30,000 supply-chain jobs. Buyers in the UK, Europe and Turkey gain an e-POWER hybrid version of the Kicks for the first time, and the plant adds a 10th model in its 40-year history.
Terms in This Story
- e-POWER
- Nissan's hybrid system in which the wheels are driven solely by an electric motor, while a petrol engine is used only to generate electricity and recharge the on-board battery.
- B-segment
- A vehicle size class for compact or subcompact cars, sitting below mid-size models.
- hybrid
- A vehicle that combines a petrol or diesel engine with electric power to improve efficiency.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.