Nissan has announced plans to build the Murano SUV at its St Petersburg factory in Russia. The start of production is planned for the beginning of 2011 and these models are for the Russian market only and not for export. Since the start of sales in Russia in November 2005, about 9,000 Muranos have been sold in the country.
The Japanese automaker also said that due to the slight recovery of the automotive market and growth in customer demand, it will increase the St Petersburg plant's staff from 850 to 1,450 employees adding a second shift this June
It is expected that the St. Petersburg plant, which currently builds the Teana mid-size sedan and the X-Trail SUV, will churn out 50,000 cars per year once it reaches its full capacity.
The Japanese company added that it will be opening 20 more dealerships throughout Russia as part of its plans to boost sales to more than 70,000 units this year, up from around 62,000 in 2009.
