NORTH-EAST industry has received another major boost after Nissan's Sunderland factory was chosen to build a new sporty off road car, The Northern Echo can confirm.

The Infiniti QX30 will be made exclusively at the Wearside plant from next year as a sister model to the soon-to-launch Infiniti Q30 - part of the Japanese firm's £250m investment in UK manufacturing.

It comes a week after plastic parts maker Nifco won a £50m contract with Ford - the biggest deal in the Stockton company’s history.

Bosses at Infiniti - Nissan's luxury arm - said the new Sunderland-built cars will be crucial to the brand making a breakthrough in Europe, as they unveiled the concept version of QX30 at this week’s Geneva Motor Show.

Nissan is about to finish work on an extension to the Wearside plant to accommodate the Infiniti production line, employing up to 280 additional workers, with a further 700 positions supported at suppliers.

The new model is due to go into production in the new year, while the Q30 is due to arrive in showrooms this November.

Nissan has the capacity to make up to 60,000 Infiniti cars in the North-East per year. About half of them will be exported to Europe.

James Ramsbotham, NECC chief executive, said: "Coming so quickly on the back of Nifco’s fantastic new deal with Ford, this announcement from Nissan is more great news for the regional automotive sector, the North-East manufacturing industry and another shot in the arm as our economic recovery continues to gather pace.

“The importance of these giants of industry to the regional supply chain cannot be underestimated, so I’d like to congratulate Nissan and its workforce on another milestone achieved at its pioneering Wearside plant.”

Sunderland was awarded the new model thanks to its reputation for efficiency, quality and track record of meeting the Japanese manufacturer’s exacting standards.

In 2011, the plant was chosen to build the all-electric Leaf model, which has joined the Juke, Note and popular Qashqai model at the UK's largest car factory.

Colin Lawther, Nissan senior vice president for manufacturing, supply chain management and purchasing in Europe, said: “Confirmation that an Infiniti compact crossover will go into production in the UK next year is fantastic news for our staff in Sunderland.

“To be built alongside the Infiniti Q30, this is a further premium addition to the plant’s model line-up and represents another step forward for our operations and supply base in the North-East.”