Japan debut for Bridgestone’s Enliten winter LT tyres

For the first time, Bridgestone is applying its Enliten technology to a winter light truck tyre. The Bridgestone Blizzak W989, which will go on sale in Japan in September, will thus offer a six per cent improvement in ice braking performance and 15 per cent better wear life than a comparable conventional tyre.

Bridgestone describes Enliten as “a new innovative lightweight tyre technology that represents an unmatchable reduction in material and rolling resistance performance to contribute to the reduction of a vehicle’s CO2 emissions, while providing the same wear life as a standard original equipment tyre.” The manufacturer premiered the technology on the Volkswagen ID.3 in 2020. The first truck tyre featuring Enliten was the Bridgestone W999, which launched in Japan in September 2022.

Blizzak W989 is aimed at vehicles engaged in last-mile deliveries and will be offered in Japan in 24 sizes.