Private Iranian automaker Bahman Group has forayed into manufacturing the Chinese compact SUV, Haval H2.
Haval is an automotive marque owned by the Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors which specializes in crossovers and SUVs.
CEO of Bahman Group Hamidreza Davoudzadeh says they started talks with the brand from the previous year which ended in March, outlining plans to expand the company's output, local automotive website Asbe Bokhar reported.
“Bahman Motor's production line capacity is currently at 70,000 vehicles; we have projected to raise this capacity to 120,000 automobiles in the next two years.”
According to him, the trial production of Haval H2 began in March and its production is increasing on a daily basis.
Under the hood of the Haval H2 is a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine generating 110 kW of power at 5,600 rpm and 210 Nm of torque between 2,200 and 4,500 rpm.
Matched to a six-speed automatic gearbox, the H2 has a 7.0-inch touchscreen with a quick-to-re-pair Bluetooth connection and USB/SD inputs.
Head of the Bahman Group says they will start producing the off-road Haval H9 and the SUV H6 in a few months.
The private company produced 11,326 cars during the year which ended in March, a staggering 180% YoY increase.
Their collaboration with Great Wall is their second experience with a Chinese automaker. Bahman Group manufactures Japanese Mazda cars and Chinese Besturn.
Chinese manufacturers have made inroads into Iran's market as evident by their rising share. Production of Chinese vehicles experienced a 49% YoY increase and they hold 16% of the country's auto market.
