IKCO Samand


The IKCO Samand is a large family car produced by IKCO. Production began in 2001, with the first unit being sold the same year. Considered as the national vehicle of Iran, it replaces the Paykan, which was sold from 1967 to 2005.

Engine and components

IKCO Samand LX RearThe Iranian-designed Samand uses the Peugeot 405 platform, equipped with either IKCO-designed EF7 engines or PSA XU7JP/L3 engines, amongst others. IKCO manufactures 80% of Samand's parts domestically, including its Iranian-designed engine.
For export markets, IKCO uses the Peugeot TU5JP4 engine. This is because the TU5 is a low-consumption and powerful engine, and because of the ease of finding its parts all over Europe, since the TU5 has been used for the Peugeot 206, Peugeot 307 and Peugeot 207.
The TU5 version of Samand comes with three new options: driver airbag, pre-tensioner seatbelts, headlight height adjuster and active antenna. The car uses Peugeot 405 components.
Since early 2009, IKCO has used newly developed Iranian engines such as a dual-fuel national engine for its new models.
In mid-2010, IKCO started to install petrol-only EF7 engines on Samand. The engine is not a petrol-based version of EF7 but the compressed natural gas parts of the engine are removed and also the engine control unit Programming. However, the petrol-based version of the engine is currently under development.

Performance

Fuel consumption

Diesel model

In 2009, IKCO announced that they will produce Samand with their new engine EFD in 2010; however, due to the required tests for the engine, preparing the car for engine installation, as well as lack of distribution for the Euro IV diesel fuel in the country postponed production to 2011.
On November 30, 2010 IKCO announced the major changes made in Samand compared to dual-fuel or single fuel Samands for making it compatible for installing the EFD engine on.
This main changes are: changing the radiator, installing the intercooler, water and hydraulic hoses, engine housings, exhaust system gearbox and the engine compartment insulations.

Quality and safety concerns

Critics and owners have long complained about the Samand’s low-grade interior finishes, fragile plastics, dashboards that crack or fade, and trim that shows premature wear, leading many owners to seek aftermarket repairs.
More serious safety controversies have arisen after high-profile multiple-vehicle collisions in which airbags on some Iran-made cars, including Samand examples shown in media coverage, reportedly failed to deploy; these incidents prompted public outcry and calls for investigations.
Independent evaluations and domestic quality rankings have sometimes placed Samand near the bottom of Iranian car quality lists, with earlier models earning low star ratings from standard-inspection bodies due to material durability and overall finish issues.

Production

The Samand was manufactured in Minsk, Belarus, by the Unison firm, alongside Lublin vans, from 2006 to 2013. Unison signed a new agreement with Iran Khodro in 2018 to produce other car models.
The Samand is assembled by AzSamand in Şamaxı, Azerbaijan under the local name AzSamand Aziz.
Venirauto began assembling Samand sedans in Venezuela in 2006.
Siamco produced the Samand, as the, in Syria from 2006 to 2012.

Export markets

The Samand was exported to the following countries:
Africa
Asia
Europe
South America