IKCO Soren Plus rear

The IKCO Samand Soren is a large family car manufactured by Iran Khodro (IKCO). It is a facelift version of the IKCO Samand, first released in early 2007 It comes with a driver airbag, pretensioner seat-belts, headlight height adjuster, and active antenna. It is named after Surena, an ancient Parthian Spahbed (general).

Samand Soren ELX

The Samand Soren ELX is a modified version of the Samand Soren, released in 2008. It has a number of new safety options including ESP (as an option) and a front passenger airbag. It also has a new interior design, including a new dashboard and instrument cluster. Its electrical systems are fully digitized.

There are three available engines for the Samand Soren ELX:

  • Peugeot TU5JP4
  • EF7
  • EF7 Turbocharged (Discontinued after 2019)

Build Quality Concerns

Consumer reports have highlighted significant build quality issues with the Soren, reflecting systemic problems across Iran's automotive industry. According to Iran Standards and Quality Inspection Company (ISQI) rankings, none of the cars made by IKCO received more than four stars out of five, with persistent complaints about slow deliveries, lack of after-sales services, and low production quality. The Soren specifically suffers from poor assembly quality with excessive cabin noise, particularly from the seats. For decades, Iranian consumers have expressed growing discontent with state-owned carmakers accused of exploiting an uncompetitive market and producing cars with fewer features and worse build quality. Common failures in the SOREN Plus reported at relatively low mileages include: front wheel bearings, window regulators that burn out (particularly in rainy climates), frequently failing brake and indicator lights, and daytime running lights. The head of Iran's Institute of Standards stated that in the last eight years, no high-quality vehicles have been produced in Iran, with domestic cars showing gaps five times higher than foreign brands due to reusing worn molds. Clutch quality has been specifically cited as problematic, with one owner reporting replacement at just 10,000 km, while control arm bushings have failed as early as 15,000 km. Iran's traffic police chief publicly questioned the industry, asking "What kinds of cars do we have? Why do we produce death wagons?" highlighting concerns about shoddy engineering.