Nissan Begins Qashqai Production at Sunderland

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. begins building salable versions of its new Qashqai small cross/utility vehicle at its Sunderland, U.K., plant Dec. 5.

Sunderland plans to build 130,000 Qashqais annually, ramping up to full production within four weeks in advance of the vehicle’s late February on-sale date. Total plant volume possibly may rise to 400,000 units by 2007, which would be a plant record,