Nissan to produce the NV200 van in Barcelona

Together with the global unveil of the all-new Nissan NV200 at the Geneva Motorshow, the company announced that this model will be produced for Europe in Barcelona, Spain, beginning late this year.

The NV200 is a global vehicle, which will be built in several Nissan plants in the world. It will be launched in Japan in spring 2009, in Europe in the second half of 2009, and then in China and a number of other markets globally.

For the European market, the NV200 will be produced alongside the vehicles currently built in Barcelona: the Pathfinder, the Navara pick up and the Primastar (also built as Trafic for the Renault brand). Nissan Spanish Industrial Operations (NSIO) will adapt its two production lines to accommodate the additional vehicle.

“In a time of difficult economic conditions, we are pleased that the Nissan plant in Barcelona was able to adapt to the changing market environment and accommodate the production for Europe of this important vehicle,” said Andy Palmer, Senior Vice President, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd and Head of Nissan’s Global LCV Business Unit. “This first step has been made possible by the dedication and passionate efforts of the Barcelona Plant management, but also by the cooperative approach of both the Spanish and Catalan authorities and the Unions. We hope that this spirit will be kept to make sure the Barcelona Plant will take the necessary further steps to become competitive and gain new products for its sustainability,” said Palmer.

The NSIO management announced that, in order to be competitive and gain new products, the Barcelona plant needs to meet a number of conditions including the ability to sustain capacity utilisation while preserving flexibility.