In a surprise move, Arian Motors, previously the sole distributor of Mitsubishi cars and pickups, has announced it will be the sole distributor of Citroen's premium DS brand of vehicles in Iran. The announcement on Wednesday, about the entry of the luxury sub-brand, comes after Peugeot, Citroen's partner French company, announced its plans to reenter Iran's auto market, Asre Khodro writes. Peugeot has opted to bring in cars like the now defunct Peugoet 307, which is likely to come from their former Chinese production line. Arian Motors' website currently lists Mitsubishi vehicles while their flagship showroom on Qaem Maqam Farahani Street in central Tehran has removed Mitsubishi's logo, suggesting the company may have lost the rights to Mitsubishi. The Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade has not confirmed the authenticity of Arian Motors' claim, but is likely to make a public statement on the veracity of the statement later this week. The Citroen brand has been largely absent from Iran in recent years with the now defunct Citroen Xantia being a best-seller in the early 2000s.
