(December 3, 2015) Infiniti began production of the Q30 active compact this week in Sunderland, United Kingdom, as the first vehicle officially rolled off the assembly line at the brand’s newly-built facilities following a £250 million ($390 million) investment that has created 300 new jobs.

Infiniti’s first compact model, the Q30 is also the brand’s first vehicle to be manufactured in Europe. As part of its global growth plan, Infiniti vehicles are now built in five plants in four countries on three continents.



The small compact hatchback is expected to go on sale in North America during the first half of 2016 as a 2017 model. The starting price is is predicted to be around $30,000 competing against such European models as the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class.

Trevor Mann, chief performance officer of Nissan Motor Corporation, today joins Roland Krueger, President of Infiniti Motor Company, and the workforce of 6,700 in Sunderland to mark the latest milestone in Infiniti’s global expansion.

“Today we are beginning an exciting new chapter in the Infiniti story, and I can’t think of a better place to start than here at Nissan’s Sunderland plant. Over its 30 year history, Sunderland has grown into the UK’s largest automotive plant. It is renowned for delivering high-quality, top-selling vehicles, and is regarded as a world-class production facility with a highly skilled and dedicated work force," Mann said.

“To prepare for Q30 production, we invested 250-million pounds here in the UK.  This is creating more than 1,000 new jobs in the UK automotive industry. Q30 production is further strengthening our premium vehicle manufacturing capability in Sunderland, and exports to global markets such as China and North America signal the next phase in the expansion of Infiniti and a new chapter for our UK plant.”

The decision to build the Q30 in the UK was made in 2012 in recognition of the outstanding quality standards reached by the workforce in Sunderland over many years. Since then, the plant’s journey to Infiniti has created a new generation of premium car builders, with an unprecedented training program for 4,000 staff in the requirements and expectations of Infiniti customers.

The workforce also includes a select group of newly-appointed master craftspeople. At each stage of the production process, they ensure every individual Q30 meets Infiniti’s premium manufacturing standards.

New production facilities at the Sunderland plant include a 100%-automated body shop, where 134 new robots with laser-welding precision have been installed to build a highly rigid bodyshell, one of the reasons that sound levels in the Q30’s cabin are exceptionally low.

After the Q30 is welded,it is integrated onto the plant’s Line 2 for painting and final assembly, where a second plant extension has been built. The manufacturing process has been tailored to ensure every Q30 is made for the individual at the Trim & Chassis shop where the Infiniti operators perform 1,191 different tasks to complete each model.

Instrumental in the development of the Q30 were the brand’s European design and technical centers in Paddington and Cranfield, UK respectively. With an expanding network of Infiniti Retail Centers in the UK, the introduction of Q30 manufacturing in Sunderland demonstrates the brand’s strong commitment to the UK.