Nissan , one of the auto industry’s few bright lights this season, has announced nearly 1,700 job cuts at its Zona Franca assembly plant in Barcelona, Spain, a country which has been hit hard by local and global economic slowdowns. Nissan’s Zona Franca plant produces the PrimaStar commercial van (and its Renault Traffic twin), as well as the Pathfinder SUV. Sales of both are down dramatically over last year’s levels.
Nissan revitalized the Zona Franca plant just three years ago when it committed significant money – as well as production of the Pathfinder – to the facility, which is located just outside of Barcelona. The factory builds nearly every Pathfinder sold outside of North America (Canadian, Mexican and U.S. Pathfinders are assembled in Smyrna, Tennessee), but with record high prices at the pump, buyers aren’t showing the level of interest in big SUVs they once did.
Nissan hasn’t talked about any other cuts at other factories, though VW/Seat recently announced more than 4,000 job cuts across Spain.
