KHODRO

What do Iranians drive? The Pars Nova is an even cheaper derivative of the Dacia Logan, powered by a Lada petrol engine

The first generation of the Dacia Logan from 2004 can be said to have launched Romania. Over three generations, the Romanian sedan was produced in more than 1.3 million units, and the most successful was the first generation, which is still produced under license in Iran, called the Pars Nova.

Just as Dacia bought a license to produce its own version of the Renault 12 in the late 1960s, the Iranian company Pars Khodro bought the rights to the Logan and produced its own version for several years. Now the Iranians are restarting production of this model in a new version, with a modified design and new technical specifications.

Aesthetically, the Pars Nova looks like a completely different car from the first generation of Logan. The front stands out with new headlights, with LED daytime running lights, and a completely redesigned bumper. The rear is completely redesigned, with LED lights and reversing lights. What remains in common with the first Logan is the position of the exhaust pipe.

The Iranians have released very few photos. One of them was taken on the same day that Pars Khodro's biggest local rival, Iran Khodro, relaunched the decade-old Peugeot 207 sedan.

The Dacia Logan, launched in Romania in 2005, will be reproduced with a new name and redesigned look, but in a familiar format, according to Profit.ro. Renault sold the car's license to Iran for years, and the Logan is now being launched in the Middle East under the name Pars Nova.

Just as Dacia acquired the production license for the Renault 12 in the late 1960s to produce its own version, the Iranian company Pars Khodro bought the production rights for the Dacia Logan and produced its own version for years. Production of the model is now being resumed with a redesigned front and rear.

Compared to the well-known Romanian version, the Pars Nova will feature a central infotainment screen, a digital-analog instrument panel, a stability control system, and traction control.

The interior is similar, but modernized. We see changes such as a new steering wheel, digital instrument panel, infotainment system, as well as single-zone climate control.

Where does it most resemble the original Romanian sedan? If we analyze the car from the side, the similarities with the Romanian model are most present, in terms of the shape of the doors, door handles and fuel filler cap.

The biggest similarities are in the powertrain. The Iranian Logan will be equipped with Lada's 1.6-liter naturally aspirated engine with 110 horsepower, paired with a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. This used to be Renault's engine, and until the launch of the 1.2-liter 120 hp engine this year, it was also the most powerful model in the Logan range since the model was produced.

Initial reports suggest the model could also be sold in Russia, by AvtoVAZ, the former Renault Group partner in Russia, which also produced the second-generation Logan. The Russian company is producing and supplying the 1.6-liter engine to the Iranians and will import 45,000 Pars Nova cars to the Russian market.

Renault pulled out of Iran about six years ago, as international sanctions were imposed on the country. The French company previously produced the Logan in partnership with the Iranians, under the name

Renault Tondar.

This is not the first time the Logan has been "recycled" after its debut in Romania: AvtoVAZ, the manufacturer of Ladas, already produced the first and second generations of the Logan in Russia under the name Lada Largus and, according to Profit.ro, the model now presented in Iran will also be sold in Russia. In Ukraine and here, the Logan and Duster were also sold under the original model name, but with the Renault emblem. The Logan's appearance is also familiar in Mexico, where it could be purchased under the name Nissan Aprio.

by Autonews