Aug 23, 2006, 5:24 PM

L90 mass production to begin in December

TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) – Iran’s L90 passenger car production project is about 90 percent complete, noted the managing director of the Northern Iran Plant of Iran Khodro Co. (IKCO).

The building of the project to produce Renault’s L90 in Iran is 90 percent complete he said adding, pilot production of the car would start in late September.

The company’s mass production of the car is to begin on December 4 this year and about 12,500 of the model are expected to be produced by the yearend (Iranian year ends March 20), the Persian service of Iranian Students News Agency ISNA quoted him as saying on Wednesday.

After the production of the car is started, Iran Khodro will be divided into two separate plants, the Northern Iran Plant will produce only Renault products whereas Peugeot, Samand and Mercedes will be manufactured in the Southern Iran production complex, he announced.

Iran Khodro managers refer to the manual production of the body parts at the nation’s largest auto producer as the reason for the low finished costs of its products. However, upon an increase in the demand, it is possible to install robotic production equipments at the plant.

Meanwhile, Pars Khodro, Iran’s other major automaker has come to terms with France’s Renault to produce the model in Iran.