Will a Chinese Car Replace the Pride?

Iranian automotive media have recently discussed the possibility of the Chinese car 'Changan Benni' replacing the Pride. With stricter automotive standards in Iran and public pressure, it seems that Saipa is also looking for a replacement for this vehicle. According to some Iranian automotive media reports, this car will likely enter the Iranian market with two types of engines. Young Journalists Club also reported last year that this product was under review at Saipa, but at that time, Saipa officials were reluctant to release much information about the vehicle. Currently, one of the weaknesses of most Chinese cars is their low safety, with very few achieving the necessary safety standards for the European market. In China, a testing institute called Chinese NCAP has been established to evaluate Chinese-made cars, similar to Euro NCAP, and rates them. Many cars that have been unable to enter the European market receive four-star ratings or higher from this institute, but they fail to meet European standards due to differences in testing conditions and crash test speeds. Iranian automotive industry officials try to claim that the products they bring from Chinese companies are safe based on these Chinese ratings, while there are many doubts about these tests. Changan also heavily promotes the star ratings from the Chinese NCAP on its products, yet there is no information about the Benni's rating on Changan's website. Some other Changan products have managed to obtain up to four stars from Chinese NCAP, but they have not yet met the necessary safety standards for entering Europe. Typically, medium-safe products in Europe have three stars from Euro NCAP, which may imply that four stars in China could equate to below three stars in Europe. However, the absence of any crash test information for the Benni on Changan's website is surprising, especially since the company emphasizes the safety ratings of its other products. Does this lack of published crash test information indicate that the car is unsafe even in China, and is Saipa looking to replace one dangerous vehicle with another? On paper, this product has a better engine than the Pride. The 1200 cc engine produces 85 horsepower, while the 1400 cc Benni engine can produce 100 horsepower, whereas the 1300 cc Pride can only produce 65 horsepower. In terms of safety, the Changan Benni is equipped with two airbags and ABS brakes; however, if this car is not inherently safe, having airbags does not make it safe. Regarding the size of this car, it can be compared to vehicles like Mitsubishi Mirage or Kia Picanto, and in terms of design, it is very similar to Mazda vehicles. Nevertheless, this car should be considered a low-quality copy of Japanese or Korean products. The interior design uses low-quality, rough plastic. The interior and exterior design can be seen as deceptive. The price of this car has been announced at around 30 million tomans. Saipa currently shows a strong inclination towards Chinese companies and was even unwilling to transfer a subsidiary (Benro) to the Organization for the Development and Renovation of Industries of Iran in exchange for its heavy debts to this organization, as it had promised this company to the Chinese company Changan. The influence of the two Chinese companies, Brilliance and Changan, has now peaked within Saipa. However, Saipa intends to introduce products named Quick, Tiba 2, and Saina as domestic replacements for the Pride by developing the outdated platform of the Pride.