THE endeavours of North-East workers have helped a car maker break new ground ahead of its drive into the deluxe vehicle sector.

Nissan, which employs nearly 7,000 workers at its Sunderland plant, says Wearside staff lifted production levels by 244.4 per cent year-on-year in August, bolstering global manufacturing and sales to record highs.

Bosses say 40,186 vehicles rolled off its regional lines last month, helped by changes to the summer holiday programme, meaning worldwide production increased 7.7 per cent year-on-year to an all-time August peak of 398,459 vehicles.

International sales were also at new levels, standing 0.6 per cent better off at 406,138.

The successes come as Nissan prepares to start work on the Infiniti Q30, which bosses previously claimed will help it top 5.5 million annual sales.

The firm is carrying out a £250m expansion of its Wearside base to accommodate the hatchback, which will create nearly 300 direct jobs and carry the marque of Nissan’s luxurious sister brand, Infiniti.

Roland Krueger, Infiniti president, said the Q30 will lay the foundations to put the business at the forefront of the exclusive car market.

He added: “The car has been engineered to exacting standards to deliver a driving experience that is unmistakably Infiniti.

“Q30 will accelerate our strategy to become a leading global manufacturer of premium cars.”

The Q30, which will start at £19,780, will be joined by the QX30, with both due to become the first premium models to be made in Sunderland and exported to the US and China.

The Infinitis will join a bustling factory, which already boasts a Qashqai and Juke production line and a line responsible for the Note and all-electric Leaf.

Earlier this month, The Northern Echo reported how Nissan’s North-East staff had smashed another production record by making the 500,000th second-generation Qashqai.

Since the start of work in January 2014, a new Qashqai has been built every 62 seconds on the plant’s Line One, with nearly 100,000 being delivered within the UK.

Nissan’s Sunderland site makes more than one third of the cars produced in the UK and was the first factory in the country to make more than half a million cars in a year.