AVTOVAZ plans to assemble Lada cars in Iran

The sale of models of the Russian brand has not yet been established in the country, but relevant negotiations are already underway.

Russian the manufacturer is looking for new countries to sell Lada cars. The fact that AVTOVAZ is now discussing different options for entering the Iranian market is reported by Vedomosti, citing unnamed sources familiar with the company’s plans. It is expected that at the initial stage the supply of cars from the Russian Federation will be arranged, and subsequently local assembly of Lada models may be organized.

On photo: Lada Vesta SW Cross

According to the publication's sources, the main problem for Russian cars entering the Iranian market is the technical requirements for vehicles, which differ from those in force in the Russian Federation. It is not specified what exact requirements we are talking about.

Earlier, the head of the sales and business development department in foreign markets of AVTOVAZ, Andrei Vladimirtsev, said that after deliveries of finished Lada cars begin, car assembly could also be established in Iran. According to him, the Russian automaker has already found a partner in Iran who will distribute and service the Lada: it is reported that this is Nika Motor. According to the speaker, it is planned to begin supplying Vesta, Granta and Niva Travel to the new market.

In the photo: Lada Niva Travel < p>For AVTOVAZ, Kazakhstan and Belarus remain the largest foreign markets for Lada cars. True, car supply volumes decreased noticeably in 2022, after the automaker was unable to produce products for several months due to a shortage of components, and then “simplified” cars began rolling off the assembly line. As a result, the total export figure for last year decreased by more than half and amounted to about 17.2 thousand copies.

According to the Autostat report, at the end of last year, Lada sales in Russia decreased by more than 48%: for the entire 2022, 174,688 new cars were registered. At the same time, the market as a whole fell by 59%. This year, the brand’s results are growing (due to the effect of a low comparative base): the January-November figure was 292,752 units, which is 89% more than a year earlier. The growth of the Russian market of new passenger cars for 11 months is 65%.

In the photo: Lada Granta

Remember, AVTOVAZ currently produces cars of the Lada Vesta and Granta families, as well as Niva Travel and Niva Legend SUVs. Next year it is planned to resume production of Lada Largus station wagons and vans. In the future, the model line will be expanded to include the new Iskra family: as the head of the company, Maxim Sokolov, recently said, the cars will hit the production line in early 2025.

Also on the list of AVTOVAZ’s future projects is a crossover on the platform Vesta, for which a name was recently sought, as well as a “stretched” version of Vesta, which received its own name — Aura. As previously reported, this car is mainly addressed to budget organizations and regional officials.