Palmdale dealership to sell Romanian SUVs

A unique dealership is expected to join Palmdale's auto mall, selling off-road vehicles from Romania.

Auto dealer Mike Taheri is buying 3.1 acres from the city in the Antelope Valley Auto Mall to build a Cross Lander dealership, expected to open by December 2006.

"This will be one of the few places where you can buy one," said Councilman Mike Dispenza. "It's a good fit for our area. It's a very affordable vehicle."

In keeping with similar land transactions at the auto mall, Taheri will not actually pay for the property. Instead, the city would write off the $810,000 sales price through sales tax revenue generated by the new business over the next 10 years.

The total taxable sales projected from vehicle sales on the property are expected to exceed $7.8 million.

Targeted at off-road enthusiasts rather than at SUV owners who seldom need their four-wheel-drive capability, the Cross Lander 244X sport recreation vehicle is tall and boxy, described by manufacturer Auto Romania as a no-frills vehicle.

The vehicle gained U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certification last December.

Manufactured in Campulung, Romania, the vehicles will be equipped with a 4.0-liter V-6 engine and are expected to sell in the low- to mid-$20,000 range, the company said.

There are 148 dealerships signed up nationwide, but sales have not started, company officials said.

The company calls itself the only international manufacturer aggressively targeting American off-road enthusiasts.

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