Developing range a Lassa priority

Several recently-introduced products were on display at the Lassa stand at this year’s Reifen show. The Turkish tyre brand, produced by Bridgestone/Sabanci joint venture company Brisa, has been extended with the introduction of a new UHP range, Phenomena, and its latest winter line-up, the Snoways 3.

Vicki Tillson, UK sales manager for the Lassa brand, says the asymmetric pattern Phenomena underwent substantial testing prior to its launch and is “now perfect”. The Snoways 3 was first introduced last year and is said to improve on its predecessor’s overall snow performance by seven per cent. Halit Şensoy, director of Lassa international sales and marketing, comments that “its improvements over its predecessors include balanced braking distance on wet and dry surfaces to ensure superior road grip, lower rolling resistance and improved performance on snowy and icy surfaces without comprising strength and durability – key qualities that Lassa Tyres are renowned for worldwide.”

“Over last four years, we’ve put a lot of effort into developing our range,” adds Vicki Tillson. “They do what they say on the tin.” Another product shown at Reifen 2014 was new, yet familiar. The Greenways eco tyre, which was first displayed at the Reifen show two years earlier, is finally on the market. “The Brisa factory is now producing this line,” shares Tillson. “There were capacity issues that delayed its introduction.” Greenways will be available in a total of twenty T and H speed rated, 14 to 16-inch, 70-55 profile sizes.

“We are proud to unveil our new eco-friendly tyre,” states Şensoy. “Greenways offers superior performance, longer life, enhanced safety whilst also providing monetary and environmental value to the end user. Our engineers took every step to ensure the design and manufacture of Greenways represented both the specifications of its class and those of Lassa Tyres’ at their best. Looking forward, we will continue to steadily broaden the range of our lineup of tyres using the latest advanced technologies and developments to ensure we provide products that are eco-friendly, that deliver safety, peace of mind, durability, fuel economy thus ensuring total performance.”

According to Vicki Tillson, demand for the Lassa brand is picking up in Europe, and in the Turkish domestic market sales of Lassa tyres increased 25 per cent last year. “Therefore, to meet demand, a new greenfield factory will open in 2017,” she adds. This facility, in Turkey’s Aksaray Province, is being built with an investment of around US$300 million and will have an annual capacity of close to 4.2 million passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyres.