New Nissan Qashqai to be built at Sunderland plant

Initial promotional images show the new Qashqai in a camouflage colour scheme

Nissan's new hybrid Qashqai model will be built at the firm's Sunderland plant, it has been confirmed.

The third-generation of the compact SUV will go on sale next year, although its production will not create any jobs at the Wearside factory.

The firm had previously only said the vehicle would be manufactured in Europe and it has not announced when work will begin.

The Qashqai, which came out in 2006, is the plant's most successful car.

Nissan said further details would be announced next spring.

The vehicle will use an electric motor to power the wheels and a petrol engine charge the vehicle's battery.

Prototypes are "racking up the testing kilometres on European roads," the Japanese firm said.

More than three million Qashqais have been sold across Europe since the first model was introduced.

Nissan's Sunderland plant opened in 1986 and employs about 7,000 people.

It also makes Juke and electric LEAF models, but saw production paused earlier this year when the coronavirus pandemic affected demand.