The Derways Saladin, code 313140, was a five-door SUV assembled at Cherkessk in 2006 as a rebadged version of the Zhengzhou-built Nissan. It was one of four Chinese-derived models that the Russian plant localised in that year, and with 38 examples it was the rarest of them.
Derways Saladin at a glance
| Maker | Derways, Cherkessk (Russia) |
|---|---|
| Factory code | Derways 313140 |
| Assembly | 2006; 38 examples |
| Original model | Zhengzhou-built Nissan Paladin |
| Type | five-door off-road SUV |
| Design | Nissan styling, localised by Zhengzhou in China |
| Derways output in 2006 | 788 cars, of which 351 Auroras, 320 Shuttles, 38 Saladins and 33 Land Crowns |
| Fate | dropped when the plant turned to contract assembly for Lifan and Chery |
based on one source (the Derways company page); there is no Wikipedia article about the Saladin itself, and the page gives 2006 in its history but 2008 in its model list, so the dates are given as they appear.
History of the Derways Saladin
The Saladin joined the Derways range in 2006, the year the Cherkessk factory stopped building its own Cowboy after the bankruptcy of ARO and began localising Chinese cars instead. Four such models were launched: the Shuttle, the Aurora, the Land Crown and the Saladin. The company’s history lists the Saladin as the 313140, with 38 examples produced in 2006, part of a total of 788 vehicles built that year; the model list on the same page dates it from 2008.
The car was a rebadged Zhengzhou-built Nissan, generally identified as the Nissan Paladin, also sold as the Roniz. It is described as having borrowed Nissan styling rather than being an original design, which is how the whole group of 2006 models was presented: the Land Crown copied design cues from the Toyota Land Cruiser 90, the Aurora came from Huanghai and the Saladin from the Zhengzhou Nissan.
The Saladin left the Russian range as quickly as it arrived. From 2007 the plant concentrated on contract assembly for Chinese brands — Lifan first, then Chery, Geely, Brilliance and others — and later opened a second line; its own low-volume models of 2006 were not continued. The Derways factory itself closed in 2018 and its equipment was dismantled.
Design and features
- Rebadged Nissan: the Zhengzhou-built Paladin sold under a Russian name.
- One-year model: 38 cars, all assembled in 2006.
- Part of a brief range: one of four Chinese-based models launched at Cherkessk that year.
- Start of the shift: marked the move from Derways’ own designs to Chinese kits.
Derways Saladin versions
- Derways 313140: the only version listed for the Russian market.
- Nissan Paladin: the original Zhengzhou-built car.
- Roniz: another name used for the same Chinese-built model.
The Saladin was launched together with the Aurora and followed the Cowboy. More cars are in the Derways collection.
Sources
- Derways Automobile Company, English Wikipedia: 313140, 38 cars, rebadged Zhengzhou Nissan
- Derways, Russian Wikipedia: 2006 production figures, design borrowings
