Nissan currently has three large-scale production plants here in the US, pumping out models like the Nissan Altima and the all-electric LEAF to Nissan dealers across the states. Incase you're wondering, that's more than 550,000 vehicles annually! I bet you didn't know workers in the UK were also producing nearly a half amillion Nissans each year. Yup, It's true! The Sunderland, UK Nissan factory produces more than 400,000 units annually, 80% of which get exported 45 countries. And Nissan has recently announced an expansion.

The plant is already the biggest automotive exporter in the United Kingdom, and it's only going to grow. By how much? By two models, 3,000 new jobs, and a $200 million investment. To accommodate, the plant will stay open for another shift to produce a B-segment compact car and a hatchback that will likely take design cues from the American-spec Nissan Versa. These will be in addition to the Nissan LEAF, Juke and Qashqai crossover models already produced in Sunderland.

Respective details about either of these new models have yet to be released. All we can say for sure is that Nissan arrived at the Geneva Motor Show in March with a compact vehicle - the INVITATION Concept - which was rumored to be close to production-ready for UK markets. Both the compact and hatchback are expected to roll into dealerships in 2014.

These models most likely won't be on the New City Nissan showroom in the near future, though that doesn't mean it's impossible! Keeping that in mind, be sure to stay tuned for more news and updates about all of the efficiency and design innovations that will ripple through the entire new Nissan lineup around the globe.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about the vehicles built with American drivers in mind - don't hesitate to give us a call at (808) 524-9111 or stop by and see us in person at 2295 North King St. in Honolulu, HI.

[INFO] http://rumors.automobilemag.com/nissan-to-build-vw-golf-fighter-for-european-market-124211.html http://newsroom.nissan-europe.com/uk/en-gb/Media/Media.aspx?mediaid=91160 http://www.nissanusa.com/about/corporate-info/nissan-in-north-america.html