Iran Khodro Industrial Group has announced a fresh milestone in its export plan with the start of car shipments to Russia. The update comes through Khodrobank, a portal that tracks developments in Iran’s automotive industry. Looking ahead, the company aims to ship roughly two thousand Tara and Dena units to the Russian market by year-end, signaling a deliberate push to broaden sales beyond domestic borders and into nearby markets where demand for mid-size sedans and compact cars is rising.
This move mirrors a notable moment from 2022 when Iran Khodro participated in the Moscow Motor Show with a sizable delegation representing twenty-one subsidiaries. The leadership conveyed confidence about Iran Khodro’s capacity to compete in Russia, drawing on accumulated manufacturing know-how and regional familiarity to integrate into the local automotive ecosystem.
The Tara, a compact sedan produced by Iran Khodro, traces its design lineage to the Peugeot 301 while incorporating distinctive styling that reflects the company’s engineering and aesthetics. Under the hood, Tara is powered by a 1.6-liter gasoline engine delivering about 113 horsepower, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. This setup emphasizes efficiency and practical performance for daily driving needs, appealing to customers seeking reliability and reasonable running costs in the Russian market.
The Dena model follows a different platform, based on the French Peugeot 405. This lineage suggests a design and mechanical concept that prioritizes comfort and straightforward driving dynamics, offering a familiar silhouette and features that resonate with buyers who favor conventional midsize sedans. The development of Dena reflects Iran Khodro’s ongoing strategy to leverage established platform philosophies while adapting them to local market preferences and regulatory environments.
Industry notes point to a connection with the Kazakhstani manufacturing landscape, where a factory identified as Saryarkaavtoprom previously operated. This facility has been involved in discussions around certification processes for cross-border vehicles such as the Jetour X70, implying broader regional ties and potential collaboration or supply chain considerations that could influence future vehicle exports and compliance standards across the region. This broader regional context suggests a network of manufacturing and certification activities that could shape how similar models enter and perform in the market in years to come.