Goodyear EfficientGrip SUV tyre

Following the launch of its award-winning EfficientGrip passenger car tyre, Goodyear chose Portugal to showcase its new EfficientGrip SUV tyre, aimed squarely at the 4×4 and SUV market, from luxury, full-size vehicles through standard, compact and sub-compact ranges. The 4×4/SUV market in Europe is growing and is expected to reach several million vehicles by 2014, meaning increased demand for specialised 4×4/SUV tyres which combine performance and fuel economy.

Hugues Despres, Brand Director EMEA at Goodyear, explained: “As SUV and 4×4 vehicles become more economical and car manufacturers work hard to meet, and exceed, ever-stricter environmental standards, Goodyear has worked as hard to ensure its tyres support this ongoing drive.” The result, he says, is the Goodyear EfficientGrip SUV tyre; “a tyre that supports fuel economy, delivers advance features designed to improve wet and dry handling and braking, while ensuring a smoother, quieter ride.”

New technologies 

In tests against its predecessor, the EfficientGrip SUV tyre delivered lower fuel consumption, lower CO2 emissions and a quieter ride. These tests also showed that the new tyre reduced the vehicle’s braking distance by “several metres” – this was achieved by including3D blades in the tread, designed to improve the tyre’s overall contact with the road.

To improve wet grip, an advance tread compound is tightly woven into the tyre’s structure, which uses traction resins to further enhance wet braking. The noise is minimised by utilising an optimised block design and sequence.

The Goodyear EfficientGrip SUV tyre also utilises the company’s innovative FuelSaving Technology and is constructed using a special polymer, which is designed to improve rolling resistance, thus saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions.

Design of the new tyre involved using the latest developments in IT, with the EfficientGrip SUV’s uniform stiffness and the pressure distribution in its footprint built on computer-optimised models, resulting in a tyre that offers better mileage. Finally, the tyre is lighter than its predecessor, which Goodyear says provides drivers with improved steering precision and handling.

Certainly Hugues Despres believes that the new tyre is a winner, saying: “Drivers enjoy the highly comfortable ride of SUV/4×4 vehicles and Goodyear’s EfficientGrip SUV tyres aim to deliver the specific tyre needs for this growing vehicle segment. Helping to reduce the impact on the environment without compromising on performance makes the EfficientGrip SUV the perfect choice for every 4×4/SUV driver.”

Prestigious approvals 

Although the EfficientGrip SUV tyre is relatively new to the market, it ahs already attracted the attention of some famous marques. For example, Goodyear says that Audi has selected the new 16″ tyre (size 215/65 R16 98V) for its Q3 model.

The Q3 is a five-door compact coupe crossover, launched in 2011 and designed to be a more urban lifestyle/sports vehicle than its larger brothers, the Audi Q5 and Q7.

Another prestigious fitment is to the Range Rover Evoque, which went on sale in Q4 2011 and was specifically designed to attract a new group of customers to the Range Rover brand, as well as focussing on increasingly stringent CO2 emissions and fuel economy requirements. The Evoque has already won more than 100 international awards.

The Goodyear EfficientGrip SUV tyre for the Evoque is size 235/55 R19 105V has been chosen for the Prestuge model of the Evoque, plus it will be offered as an option on all Evoque models across the world, outside of North America.