The Peugeot 405 refused to be put down for decades, in Iran only.
Did you know that 33 years after its launch, the Peugeot 405 is still in production? Yes, the sedan was officially discontinued in Europe in 1997 but in Iran, of all places, it was still assembled and sold by a local automaker known as Iran Khodro.
The deal lasted for more than two decades and reached its expiry date last year but still it did not spell the end for the 405. To give the model a new lease of life, Peugeot has handed over the manufacturing agreement to Azermash, which is the largest automaker in Azerbaijan.
Under the company, the 405 will be sold as Khazar 406. While it is not the actual 406, the Khazar 406 sports a similar looking front end complete with a twin-louvre grille and a lower air intake on the front bumper.
The Azerbaijani-made sedan will be offered with either a 1.8-litre petrol engine with 99 bhp or a turbodiesel that makes 104 bhp, both Euro 5 compliant. Regardless of engine choice, the Khazar 406 is equipped with an automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.
The car also comes with plenty of creature comforts including climate control, electric adjustable front seats, rear parking sensors, a CD player as well as USB ports. With a selling price of around £7,800, it is about the same price as a brand new Perodua Myvi or Proton Persona.
The duration of the new agreement is unknown but the deal will see a Azermash making 10,000 Khazar 406s annually. Some of it will be exported to neighbouring countries including Iran.
The 405 is one of Peugeot’s most successful sedans with more than 5 million units sold worldwide. In 1988, the car was voted ‘Car of the Year’, obtaining the highest score from 54 out of 57 judges.
Apart from France, the United Kingdom, Iran and Azerbaijan, the 405 was also assembled in a few other countries such as Zimbabwe, Egypt, Chile, Argentina, Poland, Taiwan and Thailand.
