Iran’s largest car manufacturer the IKCO is launching a new version of its popular French model Peugeot 207 with a panoramic sunroof.
Ahmad Aqajani, a project contractor working for the Iran Khodro Company, said on Tuesday that the carmaker has already launched mass production for the new version of Peugeot 207, saying the move would boost sales and help increase customer satisfaction.
Aqajani said the panoramic glass roof developed for Peugeot 207 is part of a wider scheme at IKCO to produce modern vehicle roofs for various models through the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) method.
He said mounting panoramic roofs on mass-produced cars like Peugeot 207 required some adjustments to IKCO’s production lines.
“We added some robots and equipment to the lines and a number of new working stations were built inside the line,” he said, adding that all parts required for mounting new roofs on IKCO’s home-made and foreign models have been fully manufactured by Iranian parts makers.
The contractor said the IKCO plans to sell 700 units of Peugeot 207 equipped with panoramic roof in its initial offering to the market, adding that the company has a capacity to manufacture 200,000 units of the car, including normal hatchback versions, per year.
Iran’s car industry has thrived technologically and logistically in recent years mainly because a series of American sanctions imposed on the country since 2018 have forced car makers to develop innovative solutions to maintain output at normal levels.
The IKCO and other car manufacturers have developed various high-tech parts needed to finish foreign models by using expertise and investment inside Iran.
Recent reports have suggested that car output in the country have rebounded following a hiatus that was caused by the spread of the coronavirus and subsequent closures at many production lines in the country.