Nissan Motor has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Chery International UK to utilize idle production capacity at its Sunderland plant. Under the agreement, Production Line 1 will begin manufacturing Chery models starting in fiscal year 2027 (April 2027), operated by existing Nissan employees. Plant ownership and labor management will remain with Nissan, while its own Qashqai, Juke, and Leaf models will be consolidated to Production Line 2.

Chery has already established a strong presence in the UK market, selling 10,052 vehicles in April this year with a 6.7% market share, ranking second only to Volkswagen. The Jaecoo brand accounted for 3,877 sales, Omoda 3,275, and Chery’s main brand 2,900. In the first four months of 2026, Chery’s cumulative registrations in the UK reached 46,090 units.