Nissan is putting £170 million into its Sunderland factory to build the Kicks e-POWER, a small hybrid crossover that has sold in dozens of markets for years but has never been offered in Europe. It becomes the tenth model built at the North East plant since production began in 1986, and the announcement lands in the factory's 40th anniversary year.

For a UK car industry that has spent much of 2026 absorbing bad news, a manufacturer adding a model rather than removing one is worth noting.

£170m
Investment
10th
Model Built at Sunderland
~6,000
Direct Jobs at Plant

What the Kicks e-POWER Is

The Kicks is a B-segment crossover, sized below the Qashqai. The second-generation model is already built in Japan, Mexico and Brazil, and Nissan says more than 1.8 million Kicks have been sold across over 70 countries. Sunderland will build it for customers in the UK, continental Europe and Turkey.

It will use Nissan's third-generation e-POWER system, introduced in 2025. e-POWER is worth explaining because it is not a conventional hybrid. The wheels are driven only by an electric motor. The petrol engine never drives the wheels directly; it runs as a generator, charging a small battery that feeds the motor. The result drives much like an EV, with smooth, instant pull, but you fill it at a petrol pump and never plug it in.

Sunderland already knows the system well. According to FleetPoint, the plant has built more than 200,000 Qashqai e-POWER models, and Nissan has sold over 1.9 million e-POWER vehicles worldwide since 2016.

Not yet announced: Nissan has not confirmed a production start date, UK pricing, or power and efficiency figures for the European Kicks. We will update this story when it does.

Where It Fits at Sunderland

The Kicks joins the Qashqai, Juke and Leaf on the line. It does not replace the Juke; Fleet World reports that the Juke continues, with a fully electric third-generation model due next year.

That gives Sunderland an unusually complete spread of drivetrains under one roof: a battery-electric Leaf, e-POWER hybrids in the Qashqai and Kicks, and a Juke on the way to full electrification. Since opening, the plant has built around 12 million vehicles, from the Bluebird and Micra through to today's crossovers.

A manufacturer adding a model to a British factory, rather than taking one away, is worth noting in 2026. On the UK manufacturing backdrop

What Nissan and the Government Said

Massimiliano Messina, chairperson of Nissan's AMIEO region, called it "fantastic news for our European region," saying it "demonstrates the agility and speed with which we can bring new models to new markets."

Adam Pennick, vice president of manufacturing at the Sunderland plant, described it as "the perfect way to celebrate our 40th year as a world-class manufacturing site."

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said Nissan "has been at the heart of British manufacturing for four decades," calling the decision "a huge vote of confidence in the UK's manufacturing expertise and automotive future."

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, welcomed the investment but used the moment to press a familiar case, saying the industry must keep "tackling the high cost of business, especially energy and additional employment costs," as reported by Car Dealer Magazine.

Why It Matters

Sunderland directly employs around 6,000 people, and its supply chain supports tens of thousands more. A new model allocation is the clearest way a carmaker signals long-term commitment to a site, because it brings tooling, supplier contracts and years of planned output with it.

The contrast with the rest of the sector is sharp. Earlier this month, Jaguar Land Rover announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs, and Hawes' remarks about energy and employment costs are a reminder that manufacturers still see the UK as an expensive place to build cars. One investment does not change that picture, but it shows the argument for building in Britain can still be won.

For buyers, the practical takeaway is a new option: a small, self-charging hybrid crossover from a brand that already builds its bigger sibling locally. If you are weighing that kind of car against a full EV, our hybrid vs PHEV vs EV guide is a good place to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

£170 million in the Sunderland plant to build the Kicks e-POWER.
No. It does not plug in. An electric motor drives the wheels, and a petrol engine acts only as a generator to charge the battery.
Sunderland will build the Kicks for the UK, Europe and Turkey. It is the model's first time on sale in Europe.
Nissan has not yet announced a production start date or UK pricing.
No. The Kicks joins the Qashqai, Juke and Leaf at Sunderland, and an all-electric Juke is reported to follow next year.

Sources