Iran plans mass production for Dacia Logan without Renault’s involvement

Iranian carmaker Saipa says it is planning mass production for an Iranian version of Renault’s Dacia Logan two years after the French automotive company left Iran under pressure from the United States.

Saipa CEO Javad Soleimani said on Monday that the Iranian car manufacturer had reached an 85-percent self-sufficiency in production of parts needed for localized manufacturing of the Romanian model.

Production for the local version of Dacia Logan, known in Iran under various brands including L90 and Tondar, was discontinued in 2018 when Renault decided to comply with US secondary sanctions on Iran which bars Americans and non-Americans with interests in the US from dealing with the Iranians.

“When Renault left Iran with the start of the sanctions we in Saipa embarked on a plan to produce L90 within 18 months using facilities created in the country including for engine and transmission and a series of imported parts,” Soleimani was quoted by IRIB News.

Saipa, the second largest car manufacturer in Iran, has maintained a stable output over the past two years by marketing a series of local as well as Chinese brands.