Toyota's premier hybrid vehicle has made its way to Iran for promotional purposes, according to a new report from a local automotive website.
Persian Khodro reports, IrToya, Toyota's official dealer locally, announced the car is now in Iran as they did their first test drive of the vehicle.
Financial Tribune contacted the dealer for information on the price and date of release for the vehicle, but a representative noted that they were not "planning to sell the vehicle anytime soon."
IrToya's marketing department respondent said they brought the cars in small numbers in May but have kept them in storage until recently.
"Irtoya plans to bring the vehicles in at a later date, but we currently don't have an exact time," the official said.
The company added that to sell the vehicle in the Iranian market, it will need to be tested by the relevant testing authorities to gain the official discount on import tariffs of 94%.
The announcement shows the local distributor is considering a broader range of vehicles to offer in the country.
The Iranian government has been one of the largest proponents of hybrid vehicles to support the growth in cleaner vehicles, by reducing tariffs on imported vehicles and offering grants to companies wishing to research the technology locally.
Currently, according to the Customs Administration of Iran, the only part-electric hybrid vehicle that can be imported into the country with the tariff discount is the Lexus CT200h as it meets the requirements of the "right kind of hybrid engine", according to a customs official.
However, other hybrid vehicle sales have been officially banned. The BMW i8, currently available in high-end showrooms in Tehran, has had future imports stymied, according to Sobhane Online, in September for not having the "right warranty support by BMW".
