Turkey will accelerate launching the serial production of the country’s domestic car based on Saab 9-3 platform, Turkish Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Fikri Isık said March 4. Earlier, Turkey planned to start serial production of the country’s domestic car in 2019, Kanal7 TV channel reported citing Isık as saying.
The minister added that after the work is accelerated in this area, the serial production can be launched May 2018. The local car modelled on Saab 9-3 will come in different body types and power units. Earlier, the minister said Turkey acquired a license from Sweden’s car maker NEVS to produce a car modelled on Saab 9-3.
Turkey is interested in exporting the domestically produced cars to Azerbaijan, Turkish Science, Industry and Technology Ministry earlier told Trend. The ministry said that Turkey is also interested in exporting cars to a number of foreign countries once the car mass production starts.
Turkey ranks sixth in Europe in terms of car production. It produces cars of such brands as Ford, FIAT, Renault, Toyota, Honda, Opel, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and MAN. Aside from that, Turkey manufactures buses of local brands – BMC, Temsa and Otokar.