4×4 Tyres
Following on from the two tyres launched last year, the N’Fera Sport and Winguard Sport 2 SUV, Nexen Tire has introduced further additions to its portfolio. The company presented the new pair, the Nexen N’Fera Primus and Nexen Roadian AT 4×4, at the Autopromotec show in Bologna this month.
The General Tire brand has been approved as original equipment (OE) fitment for the latest BMW X5, according to Continental Tyre South Africa. The manufacturer reports that the all-terrain Grabber AT3 has been recommended in size 275/45 R20 110V XL on the Bavarian automaker’s latest X range model for its optional ‘Off-Road Package’.
The Yokohama Geolandar X-MT, a chunky-treaded tyre already seeing action on SUVs and pick-ups in North America, is poised for release in Europe. Starting spring 2019, the Geolandar X-MT will be available here in six sizes.
Contract tyre supplier Enjoy Tyre reports that it is responding to growing SUV tyre demand via its Rotalla and Routeway private brands.
Cooper Tire Europe is showing a number of new products at this year’s Geneva International Motor Show (5-17 March), alongside bespoke 4×4 design firm the Chelsea Truck Company on stand number 1141 in Hall 6.3.
Look at recent tyre test results from Auto Bild and Gute Fahrt and you might assume there’s no such thing as a bad tyre these days, but you’d be wrong. Auto Bild Allrad has evaluated ten SUV tyres, and while six were awarded the top ‘exemplary’ rating, one certainly wasn’t recommended and another hesitantly so. The upshot is that it still pays to do your homework when buying replacement tyres.
Sales of SUV tyres continue to drive growth in the UK 4×4 tyre replacement market, with UHP-orientated tyres growing even faster. According to the latest data provided by market analysts GfK, these trends have come while there have been no clear changes in the market’s brand segmentation, which suggests product mix and volume growth must be behind the improvement.
Continental is to sponsor the Extreme E off-road electric racing series. With sustainable electric SUVs and tyre technology from Continental, the new series takes participants to the most remote corners of the world. Extreme E organisers are anticipating 12 teams taking part in the inaugural season, slated to begin in exactly two years. Prototype testing is scheduled to start in April 2019 and Continental is initially a Founding Partner of Extreme E, becoming a Premium Partner in 2021. The technology company will equip all of the cars in the races with suitable tyres for the respective terrain.
Yokohama tyres earned two 2018 Good Design awards from The Chicago Athenaeum at the end of December. Yokohama was honoured in the transportation category for its Geolandar X-MT and AVID Ascend GT products.
4×4/SUV and UHP markets continued to grow in 2018
As part of our review of 2018, Tyres & Accessories asked market research specialists to give an overview of some of the key trends that have taken place in the UK car, 4×4 and light truck replacement tyre market trends during the course of the year. In doing so, we have a good foundation for looking forward into 2019 and beyond. What we found was that UK tyre replacement market is increasingly high-performance and increasingly high-value.
GfK’s Panelmarket data compares the period between November 2016 and October 2017 with November 2017 to October 2018. Reading left to right, the infographic below shows the percentage share of the panelmarket broken down by vehicle type (passenger car, 4×4 including SUV and light commercial vehicle); key changes in the panelmarket during the last 12 months broken down by rim diameter; brand tier split; and the two five tyre sizes.
General Tire have teamed up with the Hudson brothers on Swim Wild – a follow-up video campaign to the award winning Wavemaker that launched earlier this year. Swim Wild documents three brothers escaping the pressures of modern life with the aim to show UK motorists that ‘Anywhere is Possible’.
The largest UK tyre wholesaler, Stapleton’s has long acknowledged the SUV/4×4 sector’s ability to transcend other segments with steady upward performance against a particularly volatile background. While a global rise in raw materials prices and post-referendum inflation are taking a toll on the UK, Stapleton’s notes the internationalism of the industry means the impact will be considerable, because where the car industry goes the tyre industry must inevitably follow.
Kumho has enhanced its 4×4 tyre range with the Crugen HP91 and KL33 SUV offerings, covering the majority of on-road sizes between them, while the cross-functional Road Venture patterned MT51 and established KL71 also cover everything from such top end SUVs as the Range Rover and BMW X5 to the ever-popular Land Rover Defender.
Yokohama’s extensive offering of 4×4 tyres caters for a broad range of manufacturers and applications, from SUVs to crossover SUVs and minivans, CUVs and sports cars, already boasting a host of OE fitments.
Cooper Tire Europe is continuing to supply tyres to the South Snowdonia Search and Rescue Team (SSSART), an action that is said to be helping the team of volunteers save lives in the most extreme conditions.
Working with the North Wales police, SSSART searches for missing people and carries out rescue operations in mountainous and very difficult to reach locations no matter what the weather conditions, helping hill-walkers, mountain bikers and anyone who gets in to difficulty in the wild and rugged terrain of South Snowdonia.
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