All-new Nissan Navara production in Spain heralds new era for pick-up Quality
- Nissan Barcelona Plant set to launch all-new Nissan Navara
- €80m investment coming to fruition on renewed production line
- New pick-up is first Nissan LCV to come with new 5-year warranty
Raising the bar for quality and performance, the all-new Nissan Navara is ready for launch at the company’s Barcelona plant.
Harnessing the 4X4 expertise of Nissan’s Spanish operations, the new Navara has been fine-tuned for European customers and will be built on a renewed production line in Barcelona.
On a visit to the plant today, Paul Willcox, Chairman, Nissan Europe, led the traditional Japanese Daruma ceremony to mark the realisation of €80m investment for the Navara, the quality of which has heralded the launch of a new five-year Nissan Light Commercial Vehicle warranty.
Willcox said: “With 80 years of pick-up heritage, this new Navara arrives with the off-road ability, durability and loading capacity you would expect from the name.
“What makes the fully-updated Navara truly unique is the driving experience, style and comfort that it inherits from of the Nissan crossover range, like Qashqai, Juke and X-Trail.
“With the expertise of our team in Spain, a totally renewed production line in Barcelona, and our new five-year Nissan Light Commercial Vehicle warranty, Navara is further evidence that Nissan quality has never been better.”
The new Navara was engineered for Europe in Nissan’s Technical Centre (NTCE) in Barcelona, where the team developed the new 2.3 litre dCi engine and adapted noise and vibration, steering, suspension and brakes for European customers.
The contribution of Nissan’s Spanish team to the new pick-up also includes the manufacture of parts including steering knuckles, brake discs and drums at the company’s Cantabria plant.
Production of the new Navara for Nissan in Barcelona will be followed by new one-tonne pickup trucks for both Renault and Mercedez-Benz, all of which will also share some common architecture.
Barcelona plant has capacity to produce about 120,000 vehicles annually for the three brands, which would see 1,000 new jobs created once full production is reached.
Frank Torres, Managing Director and Vice President of Nissan Spanish Industrial Operations, added: “The new product range in Barcelona point to a sustainable future for the plant and takes us towards our goal of producing 200,000 vehicles per year.
“In 17 months we have launched three vehicles successfully in Spain. As the quality output from this plant continues to improve, we are about to start the production of the fourth, the new Navara.
“Not only will this set a new benchmark for the pick-up market, it signals the beginning of our journey to becoming a premium plant.”
ENDS
Photographs of today’s event will be available at http://newsroom.nissan-europe.com
About New Navara
Redesigned using Nissan's celebrated Crossover philosophy, the Navara builds on Nissan's eighty year experience in the pick-up sector with some of the most advanced design and engineering features in the industry. With new technology, bold design and clever engineering at its heart, the new Navara sets new standards in every key area. Comfort levels have been raised significantly, thanks to the introduction of a redesigned interior, while the integration of a new lightweight multi-link rear suspension system transforms ride quality.
The new Navara also features a new 2.3-litre dCi engine that is up to 24 percent more efficient and comes with the option of a twin-turbocharged variant for the first time. And, being part of the Nissan Crossover heritage, it is also packed with useful technology, including Around View Monitor (AVM) and Forward Emergency Braking (FEB).
Demonstrating the confidence that Nissan has in the quality of its LCVs, its range of petrol and diesel trucks and vans will be covered by a market-leading five year or 160,000 km manufacturer warranty.
About Nissan in Spain
Nissan has three production centres in Spain: Barcelona, Ávila and Cantabria, manufacturing the Nissan Pulsar, the NV200 van, the all-electric version, e-NV200, the Navara and Pathfinder SUVs; and light trucks NT400 and NT500 Cabstar.
In addition, Barcelona is home to the Nissan Technical Centre (NTCE) Europe team responsible for developing engines and light commercial vehicles, as well as the Sales and Marketing headquarters for Spain and Portugal. In total, more than 5,500 people work for Nissan in Spain.
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last calendar year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.
