Iran Khodro, the country’s largest automaker, has announced that it has started the test production of the low-fuel 3F7 engine at one of its sites in Tabriz, northwestern Iran.
IKCO has made extended efforts in recent months to divvy out production of new and existing lines to its several subsidiaries and bases around the country, as it continues to create a new lineup of vehicles for the next few years for local and regional sales.
Mokhtar Asghari, deputy director of the Tabriz subsidiary, praised the engineers on the site, saying a new vehicle (Samand EF7) is set to be produced at the site with two separate gasoline and CNG engines with a capacity of 1800 cc, according to a press release from the company.
“The vehicle, which is expected to meet Euro-4 standards, will be produced with a nominal capacity of 70,000 sets each year,” he said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony marking the successful test production of the vehicle, Asghari elaborated on the new vehicle’s features, saying that the engine of Samand EF7 with an Iranian platform is completely different from that of 405 and meets Euro-4 standards.
He also noted that the main safety tests that Samand EF7 has passed include head-on collision, side impact and roof strength.
Asghari cited a 23-30% decrease in fuel consumption in the gasoline engine, a reduction of air pollution in both gasoline and CNG engines, and the least performance drop in CNG engine as the main features of the car.
Referring to IKCO’s plan for the Tabriz site, he noted that the company is now working on a final plan to boost the quality and volume of its vehicles.
Asked about steps taken for boosting the quality of IKCO products, he said, “We have put considerable effort into enhancing our vehicles’ quality and efficiency, and meeting our customers’ demands. The latter is our main goal and it can be reached only through producing high-quality products.”
Asghari stressed that Samand EF7 meets all standards and international quality requirements, hinting at further sales in the Caucasus region.
Iran Khodro’s Tabriz site became operational in 2007. The site produced Bardo pickups until 2014 but then replaced it with Arisun pickup.
The site is a base for sales in the Caucasus region, especially in markets like Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia due to its low final price.
