The British motor industry received a significant boost yesterday when Nissan said it would build its new European family car at its Sunderland plant, creating 200 jobs. Nissan, the Japanese car-maker, in which Renault owns a 44% stake, said it would build 100,000 of the new Tone model at Sunderland, with the start of production planned for January 2006. Nissan said it would invest £125 million in the new car, which will compete with the likes of Renault's new Modus people-carrier, and £25 million of this will go to Sunderland. The plant, which employs 4,300 people, is rated Europe's most productive, with an annual output of 330,000 and capacity of half a million.