Many new cars will be unveiled this week in Frankfurt Auto Show.
However, despite the likely opening of business channels, will all those luxury cars also make it to the Islamic Republic? And will they have the proper support needed to please car buyers?
In recent years, some carmakers have quietly reentered the local market through third-party companies that bear no likeness to their parent companies, one of them is Porsche whose high-profile local dealership is on Tehran-Karaj road.
Financial Tribune previews the best-selling luxury European cars at this year's show and their possible availability in Iran.
Porsche
The German sports carmaker has decided to fine-tune their offering this year with lower emissions, good for Iranian car buyers as cars over 2.5 liters are now banned due to recent emission laws. Porsche has announced updated versions of the entry-level Carrera and Carrera S models, which have adopted turbocharged power, which is good for emissions. Its entire 911 range, bar the track-focused GT-badged cars, is moving toward downsized turbocharged engines.
This will help reduce emissions while at the same time increase power—a concept referred to as Porsche Intelligent Performance by the automaker.
Financial Tribune contacted Moin Motors (Porsche's unofficial representative in Iran). Asked about the new cars' estimated time of arrival, the company initially said they could not import the cars "due to sanctions", but on further questioning the company's sales representative responded that "they have no plans to bring the 2017 Porsche 911 or any of their variants to Iran".
Officially, Porsche pulled out of the Iranian market not long after Peugeot announced severing ties with the country.
However, a short walk down Tehran's luxury auto streets of Beheshti and Motahari reveal the luxury vehicles continue to make to Iranian forecourts with little restriction or delay.
Jaguar Land Rover
Like a number of automotive stalwarts whose history was until now steeped in on-road success, Jaguar is planning to drive straight off-road and into the luxury crossover market at this year's show with the F-Pace SUV.
Teased on Friday in its first official, non-camouflaged image, ahead of its global reveal at a live streamed event on September 14, the F-Pace is going to face some serious scrutiny and challenges from rivals at this year's Frankfurt motor show, Yahoo new writes.
The F-Pace has one ace up its sleeve: Jaguar's sister firm is Land Rover.
Officially, British automotive companies have been banned in mainland Iran like their American counterparts for over two decades. However, that has not stopped some individuals from importing the vehicles.
In a previous report, Iranian Land Free Trade Zone, south of Tehran, announced that they have clinched a deal with JLR to build the first showroom in the country since the 1980s.
JLR did not respond to our questions.
Audi
Audi is planning on showcasing their first fully electric SUV at the German event. The company will be showing their latest achievements in a special edition Q6 SUV that is rumored to tackle Tesla's dominance of the all-electric industry, Auto-Types writes.
Audi is supposedly partnering with Samsung and LG to make an SUV with a range of 500 km. The South Korean companies will contribute to accumulator battery technology, enabling the electric SUV.
Currently, there is no official Audi dealership in Iran, and the brand is rarer than one would expect for an upper-end vehicle in the local market.
However, a variant of Q6 EV could make it into the local market in the near future.
Audi was reportedly in talks to produce a new vehicle locally.
The first joint venture supposed vehicle of Audi with IKCO would hit the market in 2017, Eghtesad News reported.
In response to this report, Audi's German PR team contacted the newspaper denying they have begun cooperation with any local company.
Audi stated, "We hereby would like to inform you that an entry into the market of Iran is not executable for AUDI AG. Therefore, we have no official dealerships or other kind of representation in this area."
