Nissan on Friday unveiled a new £52 million XL press line in its Sunderland manufacturing plant as it ramps up preparations for the next generation Qashqai, the sport utility vehicle that makes up most of the plant’s output.

The press, which weighs more than 2,000 tonnes and has taken 18 months to install, is part of a £400 million investment by Nissan in readiness for the new Qashqai.

Nissan chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta said: “When the first Nissan Qashqai rolled off the line in Sunderland in 2006 it created the crossover segment.

“Designed, engineered and made in the UK, and more than three million vehicles later, it remains the benchmark, just as our team in the UK continues to set the standard for productivity and quality.”

The £52 million investment in the new press includes a new recycling system to segregate and process scrap.

March 2020 also marks the 10th anniversary of the first Juke to roll off the line in Sunderland.

Steve Marsh, vice president, manufacturing, at Nissan Sunderland Plant, said: “Watching the first perfect panels coming off the press was a proud moment, and is a reflection of the tremendous skills we have here on Wearside.

“Juke is an iconic model. I know I speak for the whole plant in saying how proud we are to see the fantastic new version out on the roads, and that we are determined to keep delivering it to the quality levels our customers have come to expect.”

The £400 million invested in the Qashqai comes on top of the £100 million invested for the launch of new Juke, and is part of an overall £1 billion planned investment at the Sunderland plant by Nissan over five years.

Nissan has received support from the UK Government’s Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy.