Maxim Sokolov, CEO of Avtovaz, said Tuesday that it would give the company a “specific competitive advantage” by launching assembly lines and dealers in Iran.
“…We are betting heavily on Iran’s direction and hope that our dealers will open there soon,” Sokolov told official news agency TASS.
He said an Iranian business partner he didn’t identify has called for an entire product line of Avtovaz’s LADA model, including the new Iskura model, Press TV reported.
The CEO said the Iskra is “one step ahead” of the majority of cars currently being assembled and manufactured in Iran.
According to a statement from the company, Abtovaz is looking to expand Ladha exports in 2025, with a special focus on Iran, Kazakhstan and Vietnamese markets.
Iranians have good memories of the old Ladha model, famous for its safety and reliability when they hit the road in the 1970s.
Abtovaz’s plan to invade Iranian markets has been facing difficulties in recent years, mainly due to US sanctions on Iran.
However, in recent years, it appears that Russian cars have become more likely to enter the Iranian market due to increased cooperation between Iranian and Russian automobile companies.
Cooperation deepened from early 2022 when major international auto companies, including Renault, who owned Abtovaz’s shares, left Russia as Western sanctions were imposed on the war in Ukraine.
Iran’s two largest automakers, Ikko and Saipa, have signed a contract to export cars and parts to Russia.
It also reports that automakers from both countries are about to launch joint manufacturing projects in the future.
MNA