Car of the Year Runs on Bridgestone OE

The new Renault Clio, which uses Bridgestone B250 tyres as original equipment, has been named Car of the Year 2006, beating-off stiff competition to win the prestigious title. The supermini has been redesigned with the striking new shape, a range of responsive engines and the comfortable, spacious and stylish interior clearly impressing the Europe-wide panel of judges.

A high level of safety is also on offer in the new Clio. An anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electric brake distribution (EBD) is a standard fitment, and along with the minimum six airbags helped the impressive car achieve a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP tests. Ride quality has also been developed, with the new Clio having better body roll control and excellent stability when cornering, thanks to an improved chassis and new Bridgestone B250 tyres.

The B250 delivers a safe, reliable performance for smaller hatchbacks and saloon cars, and is specifically designed to provide optimal handling, comfort, wet grip, and durability. Large grooves, high sipe density, and a high void ratio in the centre of the tyre aid wet performance, while solid shoulder blocks ensure excellent dry handling, particularly when cornering. The blocks also provide a higher resistance to shoulder wear.

Andy Lane, marketing manager at Bridgestone UK, said: “Extensive tests have shown that the B250 out-performs its excellent predecessor, the B330 Evo, in almost all categories. Cornering hydroplaning has been improved by three per cent, dry braking by seven per cent, and the estimated life-span of the B250 is an impressive 13 per cent better than the B330 Evo. Statistics like this mean we are not surprised the tyre is attracting such interest from top car manufacturers like Renault, and we are delighted our new tyre is an original equipment fitment on the Car of the Year 2006,” he said.