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A fourth product enters the Dunlop hypersport tyre portfolio this year. This is the SportSmart TT, a tyre derived from Dunlop’s road-focused SportSmart Range. Adventure riders receive a ‘Max’ successor to the TrailSmart.
Exciting and fresh are two words Cooper Tire Europe uses to describe its new website for the UK market. The coopertire.co.uk site is now live and in the coming months will be joined by others – Cooper Tire Europe says it is working on further language options to cater for its European, Middle Eastern and African markets.
The latest winter product from Nokian Tyres is a new range for sport utility and crossover vehicles. Called the Nokian WR SUV4, the tyre was developed with a focus upon handling on slushy roads as well as solid performance in suddenly changing weather conditions. The new tyre is offered in H, V and W speed rated versions and a total of 57 dimensions for 16- to 21-inch rim diameters. Retail sales of the Nokian WR SUV 4 will begin in autumn 2018.
A new five-spoke, one-piece cast alloy rim has joined the Dezent portfolio. Called the TY, the rim was developed to offer an optimal balance between material strength and weight, and is available in silver or dark grey – graphite matte, as Dezent calls it – finishes.
When we spoke with Cambrian Tyres just over a year ago, the specialist motorcycle distributor shared news of a new UK exclusive brand in its portfolio, Anlas. Cambrian began its association with the Turkish manufacturer with the Winter Grip 2, a scooter tyre intended for year-round use, and sales were good from the very start. Based on this early success, Cambrian Tyres has gradually built up its Anlas offer, and in 2018 this will continue growing to include more products for scooters, lightweight motorcycles and adventure bikes. At the same time, new additions will join Cambrian’s house brands as well as its exclusive Continental range.
Girteka Logistics has chosen Goodyear as its main tyre partner for the 4,000 trucks and 4,300 trailers it operates on its pan-European freight services. Under this partnership, Goodyear tyres will be supplied to cover 80 per cent of the fleet’s requirements. Girteka operates two and three axle tractor units and mainly refrigerated tri-axle trailers, along with a growing number of tilt trailers.
The Kumho Crugen HP91 has been selected as an original equipment fitment on the latest generation BMW X3. The tyre of choice is a 245/50 R19 105W XL version – these are supplied direct to BMW’s American plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where the X3 is produced. From there the completed cars are shipped across the Atlantic for sale in the European market.
As of January, a second size of the Yokohama BluEarth-A AE-50 is being supplied as an original equipment tyre for VW Tiguan models sold in Russia. Yokohama Rubber is supplying the size 215/65R17 99V tyre to Volkswagen Group Rus, the vehicle manufacturer’s local subsidiary. The tyre maker has supplied the BluEarth-A AE-50 for OE fitment on the Tiguan in size 235/55R18 100V since June 2017.
A quarter of all truck tyres currently sold in Europe are imported, and as the manufacturers of these products don’t operate production facilities within the region, the tyres aren’t reported in Europool. The extreme nervousness these truck tyre imports are causing some corners of the market can be seen in the European Commission’s anti-dumping proceedings against bus and truck tyres originating in China, which began last summer. Usually the free trade-specialised EU favours other technical or qualitative restrictions to entry into the European market, such as the EU tyre label or other standards, yet as figures from the ETRMA frighteningly illustrate, such measures have no effect on the pressure placed upon European retreading by cheap Far Eastern tyres.
Preliminary figures for Continental’s 2017 financial year were presented today and show an 8.5 per cent growth in sales, to 44 billion euros, and an EBIT margin of 10.9 per cent. With these two figures, the tyre maker and technology provider states that it surpassed its targets for the year. Net income increased 6.5 per cent year-on-year to 3 billion, which equates to earnings of 14.92 euros per share.
The Maxxis Group has officially inaugurated its first plant in India. The Maxxis Rubber India facility in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, was set up with an investment of approximately US$400 million and specialises in the production of tyres and tubes for two-wheel vehicles. Production at the site began half a year ago with an initial daily capacity of 20,000 tyres and 40,000 tubes.
Preliminary figures for Continental’s 2017 financial year were presented today and show an 8.5 per cent growth in sales, to 44 billion euros, and an EBIT margin of 10.9 per cent. With these two figures, the tyre maker and technology provider states that it surpassed its targets for the year. Net income increased 6.5 per cent year-on-year to 3 billion, which equates to earnings of 14.92 euros per share.
Following on from its double victory in Autozeitung’s size 225/45 R17 91/94 W/Y combined summer and all-season tyre test and the size 205/55 R16 V summer test conducted by the ADAC, Michelin recently enjoyed another win with Auto Motor und Sport (AMS). The Pilot Sport 4 was named victor in the test of 11 summer tyres published by the German car magazine late last month, the second consecutive year it has been bestowed this honour. Size 225/45 R17 94Y was the selected dimension for the AMS comparative evaluation and an Audi A3 served as test vehicle.
Audi has selected the Bridgestone Turanza T005 as original equipment for the new A7 Sportback. According to Bridgestone, drivers of the four-door coupe will have the “full 17- to 21-inch range of Turanza T005 tyres available to them.”
The ‘Master’ suffix seen on Continental port and earthmover tyres will also be used on two extensions to the new Continental agricultural tyre range that will arrive in the summer. These are the TractorMaster, a 65-series tractor tyre that will complement the standard Tractor70 and Tractor85, and the CombineMaster, a harvester tyre that will be launched in size 800/65R32 178 A8.
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