Chery Automobile Co, a mid-sized but fast-growing Chinese car maker, has agreed to set up a $370 million assembly plant in Iran with two foreign partners, targeting Iran and neighbouring markets.

Chery will hold 30 per cent in the venture, with Iran Khodro Corp, Iran's biggest car maker, holding 49 per cent and Solitac, a Canada-based investment company, holding the remainder, Chery said in a statement over the weekend.

The plant, with a designed annual capacity of 200,000 units, will assemble Chery QQ6 compact cars from knock-down kits, it added.Reuters