Further delays to the restart of production of the new Nissan Qashqai may just be the breathing space that Nissan need ahead of Brexit.

Nissan has pushed back production of the new Qashqai model at the Sunderland plant to the middle of 2021. This is just one more delay to a project that was supposed demonstrate Nissan’s commitment to Britain after Brexit.
 

Officially it is suggested that the change of date is largely because of the pandemic, but it could also allow Nissan to work out how to adapt to Britain’s post-Brexit trading rules before production begins at its plant in Sunderland.
 

Nissan don’t like the possibility of trade tariffs if there’s not an agreement between Britain and the EU and it has been feared that any tariffs would have serious consequences for Sunderland’s largest employer.
 

Production of the new Qashqai was scheduled to start in October, but sources say that it has been delayed several times as the pandemic has unfolded. Now that start date has shifted to April 2021.
 

The Sunderland plant will continue to make the current Qashqai model at Britain’s largest car plant, which employs close to 6,000 people.