Nissan has unveiled a new $93.8 million press line in its Sunderland manufacturing plant in the U.K., as preparations ramp up for the next generation Qashqai.

The press, which weighs more than 2,000 tonnes and has taken 18 months to install, is part of a $721 million investment by Nissan in readiness for the new Qashqai, which will be the third generation of the pioneering crossover.

The first specially commissioned panels on the press were produced during the official opening ceremony, led by Nissan Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta.

The investment in the new press includes a new recycling system to segregate and process scrap, and upgrades to the existing blanking line that will supply flat blanks (the sheets of metal that are ready to be pressed) to the press. It is capable of stamping more than 6.1 million vehicle panels a year, with a maximum combined force of 5,400 tonnes, all to pinpoint accuracy.