Production of the all-new Nissan Qashqai has begun at the car manufacturer’s plant in Sunderland, following a £53 million investment that included extra production capacity to allow the car to be built on both lines at the factory.

Colin Lawther, Nissan’s senior vice-president for manufacturing, purchasing and supply-chain management in Europe, said: “The Qashqai is the original urban crossover, and it remains the undisputed leader in the segment. In the decade since the car was launched, we have built more than 2.8 million in Sunderland, taking plant output to record levels.

“Offering new premium design features and Nissan Intelligent Mobility technologies, this new model marks a new chapter for Qashqai and for our manufacturing operations.”

The Qashqai is Nissan’s most successful model in Europe, and Sunderland is the UK’s largest car plant — producing 507,436 vehicles in 2016.