Iran Khodro Samand History

Launched in 2001, the Samand was Iran's first car designed domestically, though it shared the Peugeot 405 platform and initially used PSA-licensed four-cylinder engines. The name Samand means 'fast horse' in Persian. IKCO manufactured approximately 80% of the Samand's components within Iran, including, from 2009 onward, an IKCO-developed EF7 engine offered in both petrol and CNG dual-fuel configurations — a significant step for Iranian industrial capability.

The Soren variant (introduced around 2007) extended the Samand family with a longer wheelbase and turbocharged engine options, while the Samand LX gave the range a modest styling update. The car was exported to Belarus, Venezuela, Azerbaijan, Syria, and Senegal, at times assembled locally in those markets. The Samand was progressively phased out through the early 2020s as the Dena and Tara took over, with production ending around 2022.