Samand exports to Turkey to be resumed
Manteqi said that the carmaking company’s first cargo will be exported to Turkey in mid-April.
He said each monthly package will contain 300 cars which could be increased to 10,000 till next Iranian year (to start March 21, 2008).
More than 21 authorized agents and parts suppliers have so far launched their operations in seven Turkish cities to provide the after-sales service for Samand.
The official also stated that an annual number of 300 thousand cars from various countries and factories are imported to Turkey and Samand could have a cutthroat competition with the said imports, considering its desirable technical specifications.
The assembly line for the manufacture of the popular Iranian-made 'Samand' automobiles will be officially inaugurated in China in the near future.
'Samand' brand is now registered at the World Intellectual Property Rights Organization (WIPO).
IKCO is the first Iranian company whose product is registered at the WIPO.
The state will ensure against the fraudulent use of the name, industrial design, and copying of the product manufactured by the company worldwide.
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Syria, Vietnam, and China are among the many world countries which either have asked for or are already assembling this popular middle-class automobile.
Meanwhile, the director for Asia-Pacific zone of IKCO said here in July that Bangladesh and Pakistan have ordered over 5,000 gas-powered Samand models with right-hand steering-wheels.
Given the affordability of South Asian markets and Iran’s competitiveness, the company could gain a foothold in these markets in a relatively short period of time, he added. "With a cohesive and detailed planning, IKCO has the capacity to gain a share of the market."
The company has other ventures with foreign countries and companies in a bid to market share for increased exports to regional markets.
Earlier Croatian ambassador to Tehran said that East Europeans are waiting for the Iranian-made sedan Samand.
She also said that after the launch of operation of Samand assembly line in Azerbaijan and Belarus, IKCO now has better chances for gaining access to the CIS and East European markets.
According to the diplomat, IKCO officials have announced that they will soon start exports of Samand to Poland, while the company is now studying other East European markets, including Romania and the republics of former Yugoslavia.
Meantime, a new model of Samand, Iran's first passenger car achieving Euro III emission standard, rolled off the assembly line just a few months ago.
Aside from reducing its exhaust gas pollutants, the fuel consumption of the sedan has also been cut, and as a result of the modifications made to the new models of Samand, particularly its Engine Management System (EMS), the engine performance has been significantly enhanced.
Better drive ability, knock reduction, and improvement in the engine's power output are cited as other changes made to the earlier model, he added.