Dongfeng Nissan announced groundbreaking for three new design/engineering business units at its Passenger Vehicle Company (DFL-PV) in China. The $81 million (500 million RMB) facility includes the Venucia Design Center, an Advanced Engineering Technology Center, and a Corporate University, with the main phase of construction to be finished in 2015. The design and advanced engineering centers will exclusively support DFL-PV’s local Chinese marque, making Venucia the first joint-venture automotive brand in China to have dedicated design and advanced engineering technology centers, claims the company. The Venucia R30 launched in early July is the brand's first entry-class model. The new design center will focus on interior and exterior design, clay, and digital model development. The new engineering center will be responsible for new model preparation, including homologation, prototype development and testing, manufacturing-technology development for future vehicles.