David Cameron, the Prime Minister, has been busy with the good news as Nissan confirms it will build the next Qashqai in the UK at Sunderland factory. The news came ahead of BMW announcing a £500 million investment in its MINI factories.

Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn was on hand to make the Qashqai statement on the steps of Downing Street. This safeguards 6,000 jobs at Nissan's factory and throughout the supply chain that serves the plant.

By committing to building the Qashqai in the UK, Nissan will invest £192 million in this country. The Qashqai will be a wholly British product, being designed at Nissan's London studio, tested at its Cranfield, Bedfordshire development centre and built in Sunderland.

On making the announcement, Carlos Ghosn said: "The UK has been a cornerstone of Nissan manufacturing since 1986, with the Sunderland plant setting important benchmarks for quality and efficiency in Europe and around the world. It's the home of the Qashqai, one of Nissan's biggest product successes. And as Nissan's leadership in sustainable transportation grows, the plant will become one of the pillars of our zero-emission manufacturing."

The Prime Minister said: "This investment from Nissan is fantastic news and a great demonstration of the strength and vitality of the UK car industry. That future manufacturing and R&D has been secured is a tribute to the skill, expertise and hard work of Nissan's UK workforce."

Alisdair Suttie - 9 Jun 2011