Iranian automaker SAIPA announced its entry into the Russian market at MIMS Automobility Moscow and introduced the Shahin compact sedan, informs News.ru.
According to the publication, the company is looking for a Russian distributor to build a dealer network and the process of obtaining a vehicle type approval certificate has been initiated. Over the past month, this is the second Iranian brand to announce its desire to sell cars in Russia, formerly socialbites.ca. said About a similar initiative by Iran Khodro.
The Shahin sedan began to be produced at the end of 2020. According to Iranian media, the model is built on the basis SAIPA SP1 platform.
Japanese Toyota B bogie used for the second generation Yaris hatchback (2005-2013).
In terms of dimensions, the Iranian sedan is comparable to the Kia Rio and Volkswagen Polo: the length is 4460 mm, the width is 1786 mm, and the height is 1501 mm. The car is equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine with a capacity of 110 forces (178 Nm).
The equipment list includes a multimedia system with a 7-inch screen, climate control, rear view camera and parking sensors, two airbags and an electronic stabilization system responsible for safety.
SAIPA was founded in 1965 and assembles Citroen cars under a French license. In the following years, the Iranians produced Renault, Nissan, Kia and Chinese models, while also developing their own cars. From 2007 to 2019, the company produced the first generation Renault Logan, called the Tondar 90.
Bad plastic and bad smell
Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of Za Rulem magazine, met the Shahin sedan at the exhibition and expressed a skeptical opinion about the innovation. Among the obvious shortcomings of the model, he points to uneven clearances and scratched plastic, as well as an unsuccessful tandem of the turbo engine and variator. He says it would make sense to use a conventional hydromechanical machine instead of a continuously variable box.
“The sedan offered in terms of plastic quality, some solutions and interior features –
Not even the Chinese auto industry of ten years ago, but AvtoVAZ ten years ago,” Kadakov says in an interview with socialbites.ca.
According to the auto expert, the price of the Shahin imported into Russia “home” will be significantly higher, from 12-13 thousand dollars (700-800 thousand rubles). If the Iranians could stay with their cars at a price tag of up to 1 million rubles, then in Russia there would be those who would like to buy such a car, and it would bring competition to the sedan Lada Granta, but Kadakov doubts SAIPA will be successful.
“Add 20% VAT, 15% customs clearance, 10% dealer interest and 170,000 rubles recycling fee and you get a total cost of about $19,000 (1.14 million rubles),” the source says.
Compared to the SAIPA model, the Khodro Tara (refreshed version of the Peugeot 301 model familiar to the Russians), presented at the Iranian fair, is better assembled and equipped with a hydromechanical 6-speed automatic transmission. Now in car dealerships Hyundai Solaris cars for 1.6 million rubles. The editor-in-chief of Za Rulem, although this is an understandable model with an understandable service, there is no demand for them.
Sergey Tselikov, general director of the Avtostat analytical agency, says that Iranian cars are quite adequate for our market, considering that the Russian auto industry took a step forward 20 years ago. The Russians will be interested in the car, provided that its cost is about 1 million rubles, he is sure.
“The Shahin is comparable to the Lada Granta in terms of equipment, but in terms of material quality, VAZ products are better and definitely in the absence of a phenolic smell. It is impossible to sit in these Iranian cars –
the smell of plastic hits so that you do not last long, ”the interlocutor shares his impressions.
competitor to AvtoVAZ
At the moment, prospects for securing Iranian manufacturers in Russia are not clear, dealers need to more carefully test cars from Iran and study demand for them, says Andrey Olkhovsky, managing director of Avtodom Group of Companies.
“At the same time, Iranian companies can become serious competitors for AvtoVAZ.
“If the price is attractive compared to competitors, customers will prefer Iranian cars,” he said.
The head of Avtodom believes that it is premature to talk about the localization of the production of Iranian brands in Russia, due to the large list of components required for industrial assembly. A lot of free production capacity has appeared in Russia, in connection with this, the Russian authorities welcome representatives of the automotive industry from other countries, recalls Sergey Tselikov.
Iranian brands believe that if Lada and Chinese crossovers remain for only 3 million rubles, they will occupy their niche in the Russian market.
“There are no cars left in the sedan and hatchback niches. Parallel imports import expensive cars, because importing the rest is unprofitable, and the Chinese ignored this segment and focused on crossovers, ”says Avtostat.