20.12.2012

All New Infiniti Etherea Compact Model Goes in Production

Infiniti Etherea Concept.

A few months after Infiniti brand has backed out of a plan to release its premium compact model in Austria Magna Steyr plant. This week Japanese automaker announced that Infiniti compact car will be assembled at Nissan`s Sunderland manufacturing facility. Production is scheduled to begin in 2015. Infiniti is the first car brand to be manufactured in the UK on this scale over the past 23 years.

Infiniti Etherea Concept

New Infiniti as-of-yet unnamed compact model will be based on Mercedes-Benz`s MFA modular architecture also underpins the A-Class, and will be able to compete against the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Infiniti has previewed its compact model with the Etherea concept during Geneva Motor Show.

The Japanese carmaker will invest into the Sunderland facility with an annual rate of around 60,000 units about US$407 million (€307 million). The new plant will create additional 1,000 jobs across in the country, about 280 jobs at the Sunderland Plant.

This decision to release the first Infiniti premium product in Sunderland confirms the carmaker intention for further production development in the UK and the ongoing success of the plant. Also important is the fact that new Infiniti will be exported around the world and is now being developed together with Nissan London design centre and European Technical Centre at Cranfield.

Infiniti Etherea Concept at Toronto Auto Show

Because of the limited production capacity at the plant in Sunderland, the new hatchback Nissan C-segment, which the Japanese carmaker plans to rival the VW Golf, will be manufactured elsewhere.

Infiniti Etherea Concept at Detroit Auto Show

UK factory in Sunderland will be the only Nissan facility to produce the new premium compact car.

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