Nissan to downsize London Design Centre amid global cost-cutting drive
Company consolidates design into five hubs, closes California and Sao Paulo studios, and aims to raise about £5.2 billion to steady finances
Nissan is downsizing its London Design Centre as part of a broader cost-saving push and a restructuring of its global design operation into five hubs. The plan, tied to Nissan’s Re:Nissan initiative, is designed to help the cash-strapped automaker raise about £5.2 billion to return to profitability after reporting a record loss of roughly £3.8 billion for the 2024-25 financial year. Alongside trimming the Paddington studio’s workforce, Nissan plans to close its design centres in California and Sao Paulo and shift design activity to five hubs: Los Angeles, Shanghai, Tokyo, Atsugi in Japan, and London.
The London centre will continue to serve as the backbone for design in Africa, the Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania in collaboration with Renault, as Nissan consolidates its design work under a five-hub model. The company has not disclosed how many jobs will be affected at the London site, and officials declined to comment. The restructuring is expected to be completed by the end of fiscal 2025. Alfonso Albaisa, corporate executive of Global Design, said the move aims to create five agile hubs that harness new technologies and creative energy to deliver faster, smarter, and more connected design solutions, ensuring resilience and relevance in a rapidly evolving industry.
The London Design Centre has long been a cornerstone of Nissan’s European design program, contributing to vehicles such as the Pathfinder, the original Juke, and the Micra EV. The Micra is among three new cars Nissan hopes will help turn around its fortunes, alongside the new Leaf and Juke EVs—both of which will be built at Sunderland. The European hub in London marked 22 years in January, with the Rotunda opening in 2003 after relocating from Germany.
The broader realignment mirrors a wider belt-tightening at Nissan. The automaker has already signalled it will cut about 20,000 jobs and close seven factories as part of a plan to save roughly £2.6 billion across the business. Sunderland, the UK production base that employs about 6,000 people, will remain open and benefit from a government loan of about £1 billion to safeguard jobs, though Nissan said around 250 Sunderland roles would be cut as part of the global shake-up. Nissan has framed the restructuring under its Re:Nissan plan as aiming for positive operating profitability and free cash flow in the automotive business by fiscal year 2026.