As part of SAIPA's push to develop its regional market, one of its latest locally assembled products, Ario—a midsize sedan—has been released in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. SAIPA has made efforts in recent months since the cessation of sanctions to pitch its vehicles in locally developing markets like Iraq and Azerbaijan, as it sees potential for large volume sales.
The automaker is not a new entrant in the Basra Auto Fair and showcased several vehicles at the large stand at this year's event. It intends to highlight the best of low-cost Iranian vehicles in the neighboring market, BSCB reports.
Although SAIPA and IKCO have made inroads into the Iraqi market in recent years, Korean car companies remain the biggest sellers in 2015.
Currently, Kia has a 41.6% market share with its Frontier comprising 17.1% of new car sales in that year. Kia's Sorento and Sportage hold onto their positions at number three and four respectively.
