The UK’s new car market enjoyed marginal growth in February, up 1.4 per cent following five straight months of decline, according to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 81,969 new cars were registered on UK roads in the month (a year on year uplift of 1,164 units), traditionally one of the quietest of the year, ahead of the crucial March plate change.
Year-on-year growth in the SUV tyre segment has become something of a given in recent years. The popularity of this market segment has been a beacon for car-makers in Europe, as the number of new models in the last decade shows. In terms of tyres, this has meant increases in larger, higher value products, both in the original equipment and replacement markets, the results of which are analysed elsewhere in this section. Volume and value growth in the UK replacement market, at 10 and 15 per cent respectively, has been healthy again in the last year.
Avon Tyres feature on two British car models from David Brown Automotive and Morgan Motor Company at this year’s Geneva International Motor Show (7-17 March 2019).
On 4 March 2019 the European Union adopted its negotiating position on the introduction of the next phase of its European Tyre Labelling legislation. In short, the EU is updating its rules in order to add information on snow and ice grip and raise the prominence of labels for consumers. At the same time there are plans to broaden the scope of tyre labelling to include wear/mileage performance once suitable testing methods have been found.
The Zenises Group has appointed Jason Clarke as its new managing director for the British market, as part of the expansion programme on which the company has embarked. With a broad experience of more than 22 years in the tyre industry, the new Zenises manager for the United Kingdom will be a great asset to help meet the Group’s growth goals.
On 26 March 2019 the Iris Group announced “the success of the first test phase” of its “100 per cent made in Algeria” tyre factory. Celebrating the news, the company thanks its partnership and stakeholders for their efforts up to this point: “All this could not have been done without the perfect involvement of our collaborators, a big thank you to all!”
Nokian has announced that it is introducing its Hakka summer tyre range in Japan. The product line will be available to Japanese consumers beginning in April.
ATS Euromaster has Mark Lynch appointed as a new operations director to drive the company’s development in the light vehicle market, following the decision in October 2018 to merge its heavy vehicle business with Tructyre.
Continental has agreed to sponsor the Tour de France as one of the Tour’s five Main Partners – alongside LCL, E.Leclerc, Krys and Skoda. As a result of the deal, the Continental logo will appear on the arch above the finish line as well as on the “flamme rouge” arch, one kilometre from the finish. As a further benefit of the enhanced visibility, a representative of Continental will present the trophy to the stage winner on the podium.
Goodyear announced that it will expand its manufacturing facility in Slovenia to meet the growing demand for premium tyres in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The plant, in Kranj, will be expanded to house new tyre building machinery intended to increase its capacity by a quarter, creating more than 150 new jobs, and reaching full capacity by 2021.
Bridgestone has launched its newest winter tyre, the Blizzak LM005. Continuing from the LM001 which heralded a new generation of the manufacturer’s cold weather rubber, the Blizzak LM005 features a new tread pattern and the tyre-maker’s new Nano Pro-tech compound. These developments have helped Bridgestone produce a tyre to compare favourably with existing market competitors in snow and ice braking and wet grip, according to tests conducted by independent testing institute TÜV SÜD.
Grouptyre’s extensive range of exclusive “margin brand” products include car tyres by Goodride, Constancy, and Rapid, in addition to Landsail and Evergreen. These competitively priced products come with dealer support packages, access to exclusive dealer promotions, point of sale material, and merchandise as part of their customer support.
Evergreen’s Dyna range of car tyres has been developed in a new iteration the brand is calling its “biggest leap forward yet in performance and reliability.” The new Dynacomfort and Dynacontrol car patterns have been designed with everyday drivers in mind, the brand adds; “drivers who need a cost effective tyre which is long lasting, comfortable to run and delivers precise control when required – wet or dry.”
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.
Kumho has added the new BMW 5 Series to its portfolio of OEM supply deals. The tyre manufacturer’s Ecsta PS91 super sports tyre in size 245/45R18 XL 100Y is now being delivered to the German marque’s Dingolfing plant in Bavaria.
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