DESPITE the economic downturn Nissan’s Sunderland plant has been recognised as the UK’s largest car producer for the 12th year running.

Figures published yesterday by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed that the 338,150 units manufactured in Sunderland last year accounted for more than a third of the 999,460 passenger cars produced in the UK.

The achievement means Sunderland has been the country’s biggest car plant since 1998.

Last year, the plant’s highest volume car was Qashqai with nearly 200,000 manufactured.

More than half a million Qashqais have now been produced in Sunderland since its launch in 2007.

The plant’s other two models, the Micra and Note, also performed strongly in a year impacted by the economic crisis.

Production for both cars was boosted to help meet additional demand generated European scrappage schemes, including the initiative still running in the UK.

Nissan’s Sunderland-based senior vice-president for manufacturing in Europe, Trevor Mann, said: “This is good news for everyone at the plant.

“Credit for the achievement goes to our Sunderland workforce which continues to work extremely hard to meet demand.

“This performance also reflects the strength of the models we are producing in Sunderland at the moment, especially Qashqai which continues to be an extremely popular car.

“This year is going to be another tough year for car makers, and the industry is predicting a cooling in demand in general terms.

“However, Sunderland has worked very hard to win the right models for the market and we are benefiting from that.”

Sunderland will carry out the work on the updated Qashqai to be launched in the spring.

And in August the plant will begin producing the Juke model.