Giti Tire has launched the GT Radial Maxmiler AllSeason, a four-season tyre for the European van and light truck markets. Carrying the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol of its sidewall, the product is initially available in 13 SKUs with 15C-16C” rims, section widths from 195-235 and series sizes from 65-75. Load indices range from 104-115.
Enjoy Tyre has announced plans to promote its new all-season tyre range at Autopromotec 2019. The range was initially launched on an international basis at the end of 2018.
Past tyre tests have on occasion presented all-season tyres as a compromise solution, a jack of all trades but master of none. But is this always the case? German car magazine Auto Bild Allrad doesn’t think so – in its current test of seven size 235/55 R19 SUV tyres, the publication opines that all-season products are no longer a “lazy compromise”. While noting that a single tyre that can do everything well at all times of year still doesn’t exist, Auto Bild Allrad found one that came close.
Apollo Vredestein has been selected as tyre supplier for Lowland Rescue and Kent Central Ambulance services. The services join Medi 4 Ambulance Service in using the manufacturer’s products on their fleets.
Test World officially opened additional new indoor test facilities at its Ivalo, Finland operation on 27 March 2019, signalling the culminating of that latest part of a multi-million-euro series of investments in Test World. The recently constructed indoor facilities increase Test World’s capacity for year-round cold weather testing, allowing for simultaneous testing on snow, ice, and wet and dry asphalt, 365 days a year.
Growth within the all-season tyre segment is brisk. These tyres hold around ten per cent of the consumer replacement market in Europe, and sales are rising by almost 20 per cent year-on-year. Figures for the UK market are broadly similar. Runabouts and smaller SUVs have driven most activity within the segment to-date, yet Vredestein believes demand exists and is increasing further up the automotive food chain. To cater for this anticipated demand, it has introduced an all-season tyre specifically developed for performance vehicles.
Michelin’s all-season tyre for light commercial vehicles will be available in the USA and Canada as of 1 April. Michelin North America has released the range seen in the UK and Europe in five C-Metric sizes, offering fitments to European van platforms that have become increasingly popular in the North American market. The Agilis CrossClimate name has also been given to a LT-Metric tyre designed specifically for ¾- and 1-ton pick-up trucks and vans. This product can be identified at a glance by its non-directional tread pattern; the LT-Metric range covers 16 sizes.
Cooper is the latest tyre brand to add an all-season product to its UK and European market range. Called the Discoverer All Season, the new arrival is marketed by Cooper Tire Europe as a tyre “designed to deliver reliable traction in unpredictable weather all year round.” The ‘designed in Europe, for Europe’ range wears the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) mark on the sidewall and will be offered in a wide range of sizes.
Continental is offering drivers free all-season tyre demonstrations this February half term. The German tyre manufacturer will offer the free demonstrations at Mercedes-Benz World as Partner in Excellence, highlighting its award-winning range across each season and weather eventuality. Tests will also mark the first time its AllSeasonContact has been available for consumer experiences within the UK.
Bridgestone’s car tyre business is currently pushing boundaries to offer services beyond replacement tyres to motorists. The most obvious way the manufacturer is approaching this is in the application of its DriveGuard run-flat technology beyond the original line of DriveGuard car tyres. The tyre manufacturer has added DriveGuard RFT to its Turanza, Blizzak and Weather Control lines, extending the availability of the technology to an even greater breadth of the market.
Goodyear has launched the Vector 4Seasons Cargo light truck tyre. The all-season product aims to offer increased fuel efficiency, improved performance and extended mileage compared to the previous model. In Goodyear testing, the Vector 4Seasons Cargo offers shorter stopping distances and improved stability and handling in wet and dry conditions. The tyre manufacturer is also emphasising the reduced cost to drivers and fleet managers due to no longer having the inconvenience or cost of switching tyres between seasons.
Rotalla, which reportedly sells over 1 million tyres a year, is already taking orders for the contract tyre manufacturer’s new all season range – Setula 4-Season RA03 car tyres and Setula 4-Season RA05 (commercial vehicles). When the range is completed during the first quarter of 2019, customers will be able to choose from 100 sizes options. The Rotalla summer tyre range also offers the Setula E-Race RH01, RH02, RU01 and the F110 high-performance sports utility pattern, with both the Setula E-Race RH01 and RU01 patterns carrying impressive CB EU tyre labelling ratings.
In the US, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has launched the Eagle Exhilarate, which the company describes as “a game-changing, ultra-high-performance product that delivers on consumer demands, particularly wet performance”. Goodyear’s newest ultra-high-performance all-season product features a new built-in wear gauge tool and a high performing tread compound.
67 per cent of drivers don’t think winter tyres are worth the investment, according to an online poll conducted by Co-op Insurance on 25 January 2019. The Twitter-based poll received votes from 4,084 individuals and a stream of interesting comments on the subject followed.
What brand of tyres does a tyre distributor use on its own fleet? In the case of Stapleton’s Tyre Services, the answer is Michelin. The company began trialling Michelin Agilis CrossClimate tyres across 25 Renault Master vans in March, and determined it could be clocking up an extra 20,000 miles per set compared to its existing policy.
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