Manufacturer IKCO Production 2016– Assembly Tehran, Iran | Also called Samand Dena (Ukraine) Model years 2017– Designer Iran Khodro | |
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IKCO Dena is a family car manufactured by Iran Khodro (IKCO) auto company; it was unveiled in April 2011, but mass-production only began in 2015. Its price range will be between USD$12,000 and USD$13,000, depending on the specific model and accessories. Dena will replace the IKCO Samand in non-domestic markets after the manufacturer starts mass production.
IKCO Dena is named after the peak Dena in the Zagros Mountains, 35 km north-west of Yasuj in western Iran. IKCO chose this name to identify the car as a symbol of technological improvement and the lofty height of the company's aspirations.
Design and development
The project was outlined in March 2010 and began operating in February 2011, which is considered a record in car production process according to IKCO. Dena was first unveiled in April 2011. At the time, it was initially scheduled to hit the Iranian markets in April 2012.
Dena is built on the IKCO Samand platform, measuring same in width and only 50 millimeters apart in length. The side bodies of Dena are, to a large extent, identical with the Samand, and only the front and the rear ends of the car have got a new design. Three different locally produced engines based on Peugeot's TU5JP4 will be available; EF7 NA (dual-fuel), EF7 ELX and EF7 TC, all manual gearbox. Side airbags will be optional while front airbags are included, ABS will also be standard on all models.
By 2015, mass-production of the Dena had commenced with 8,437 units being produced for the first seven months of 2015, or up to July 2015 which corresponds to Tir 1394 in the Persian calendar. Comparatively, only 48 units of the Dena were produced for the whole of 1393 SH. Additionally, 30,472 units of the older Samand and 7,332 units of the smaller Runna have also been produced in the first seven months of 2015.