Nissan and McLaren Invest £670 Million in UK Automotive Sector

Two major automotive manufacturers announced significant investments in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2026. Nissan Motor will invest £170 million into its Sunderland plant to produce the Kicks e-POWER, a compact hybrid crossover destined for European and Turkish markets. The Kicks will be the tenth model produced at the facility, which is the largest car assembly plant in Britain. Production is expected to begin by summer 2027.

This investment comes as Nissan undergoes global cost-cutting and faces financial instability, having projected a 650 billion yen net loss for the fiscal year ending March 2026. The move coincides with the Sunderland plant's 40th anniversary and follows a Memorandum of Understanding with Chery Automobile to utilize unused capacity at the site. The Kicks will join the Qashqai, Leaf, and Juke in the plant's lineup.

Simultaneously, McLaren Group Holdings announced a £500 million investment to expand its research and development facility in South Yorkshire and open a new factory. The company aims to create 1,000 new roles across South Yorkshire and Surrey by 2032. The UK government characterized these combined efforts as a vote of confidence in British manufacturing expertise and a step toward reindustrializing local communities.