Photo courtesy of Infiniti.

Photo courtesy of Infiniti.

The first Infiniti Q30 premium hatchback rolled off the assembly line at the brand's newly built facilities in Sunderland in the United Kingdom on Dec. 3, according to a release.

The facility, which was a $375 million (£250m) investment that has created 300 new jobs, will be producing the company’s first compact model, which is also the brand's first vehicle to be manufactured in Europe.

The new production facilities at the Sunderland plant include an automated body shop, where 134 robots have been installed to build a highly rigid bodyshell. A second plant extension has been built for final assembly.

The brand's European design and technical centers in Paddington and Cranfield, UK were vital in the development of the Q30. The first vehicles are to be exported from Sunderland to the U.S. and China.

Infiniti is the first new car brand to be manufactured on this scale in the UK in 23 years, and is supported by a £9.2m grant from the UK government through the Regional Growth Fund.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

0 Comments