Falken will show its most energy-efficient tyre to date for electric and hybrid vehicles and launch its 2017 race car when the Sumitomo brand exhibits for the first time at the Geneva International Motor Show on 7-19 March 2017 (Hall 6, Booth 6238, Palexpo).
Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ global brand Falken has won the Tire Technology of the Year Award at the annual awards for innovation and excellence. An independent panel of 27 international tyre industry experts presented the brand’s Advanced 4D Nano Design technology, the latest development of the pioneering work debuted by SRI in 2014, with the accolade on 15 February 2017 at the Tire Technology Expo in Hannover, Germany.
Falken has expanded its product range, adding the Linam VAN01, a summer tyre tailored for light trucks and vans. The manufacturer says the Linam VAN01 offers significantly improved service life, enhanced safety and outstanding performance on wet and uneven road surfaces. The tyre will be available in spring 2017 in 21 sizes, spanning rim diameters of 14–16 inches, an aspect ratio of 60–82 and will come with speed ratings of R, S, T and H.
Volkswagen is fitting the Falken Ziex ZE914A Ecorun tyres in size 215/65R17 99V as the original equipment tyre for its new Tiguan model, as of 1 January 2017. The compact SUV’s newest iteration is designed to offer comfort and convenience alongside class-leading driving dynamics, and the Sumitomo brand says its Ziex ZE914A Ecorun is “the perfect fit”. The tyre was developed to reduce fuel consumption and deliver good handling and braking even in wet road conditions.
On 5 January, Micheldever announced that it was being purchased by Sumitomo Rubber Industries of Japan (the company behind Falken, one of Micheldever’s key exclusive brands). While it was no surprise that the business had been sold, the idea that Sumitomo would be the successful bidder was not widely foreseen. With Micheldever having grown into a leading position in the UK wholesale sector with a multi-brand, independent retailer-focused strategy, the acquisition raises many questions for the business’s staff, suppliers and customers. With this in mind, a week after Sumitomo’s purchase Tyres & Accessories met with Micheldever managing director, Duncan Wilkes; wholesale director, Alan Baldwin; and wholesale marketing manager Rory Carlin to find out more about the background to the deal.
New year. New diary. New balance sheet. New company? In this respect, 2016 got off to a flying start. No sooner had the year begun than we received news of some high profile, three-digit-million pound mergers and acquisitions. The first and the largest was the acquisition of well-known garage data supplier Autodata (see page 32, Company New section for complete details). However, within 24 hours this was followed by the potentially UK tyre wholesale and retail-changing announcement that Sumitomo Rubber Industries had acquired Micheldever Tyre Services.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ (SRI) £215 million acquisition of the Micheldever Group from Graphite Capital, including Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS), the UK’s second largest distributor of tyres, “ensures continuity” of the management and multi-segment brand strategy, according to MTS chief executive Duncan Wilkes. The move also extends the trend of tyre manufacturers buying into – or indeed buying back into – retail through the acquisition of the UK’s largest chains. In April 2016, Tyres & Accessories pointed out that Micheldever’s Protyre chain was the largest growing in the annual survey of the market’s retail landscape – a factor that will have informed the purchase – and three of the top five (Michelin’s ATS Euromaster and Goodyear Dunlop’s HiQ franchise chain) are now manufacturer controlled.
Falken will expand its ultra-high performance (UHP) flagship tyre, the Azenis FK510, to include SUV tyre sizes in 2017. The Sumitomo Rubber Industries global brand states that the new additions reflect the growth of the SUV market and continues the tyre manufacturer’s strategy of supplying an extensive range of products in profitable and high-growth segments. Starting in January 2017, the Azenis FK510 SUV will be available in 19 sizes ranging from 17 to 22 inches and will come with a speed rating of W or Y.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. has begun supplying its Falken Sincera SN250 A/S to Volkswagen AG for use as a factory standard tyre on its Golf Alltrack, which goes on sale in North America this autumn.
Matt Smith, UK director of Falken Tyres, believes tyre makers can no longer avoid the topic of all-season tyres, and following Michelin’s entry into the segment he expects to see more and more players throwing their hats into the ring. The Falken brand has been represented in the all-season market for a number of years now; the Euroall Season AS200 was launched in 2013 and remains Falken’sole all-season product in our market.
Falken Motorsports drivers Peter Dumbreck and Martin Ragginger claimed a third-place finish at the eighth round of the 2016 VLN Endurance Championship on 25 September. Held at the legendary Nürburgring race circuit in Germany, it’s the second VLN podium finish of the season for the Falken duo. “After changing from the previous Porsche 997 to […]
Falken Motorsports drifter James Deane has secured his third consecutive Drift Allstars European title following a competitive season finale at the Máriapócs Circuit in Hungary on 26-27 August 2016.
Czech car maker Skoda, part of the VW Group since 1991, has chosen Falken Ecorun for its Superb saloon model. The most popular mid-size car is now fitted with Falken‘s Ziex ZE914 Ecorun tyres as standard.
The new Superb features a Euro 6 engine and is up to 30 per cent more economical on fuel. Falken believes Skoda’s choice of Ziex Ecorun rubber as its OEM tyres, supplied by Falken Tyre Europe to the production facility at Kvasiny in the Czech Republic in size 215/55R17 94W ZE914 A EC fits this philosophy.
Falken has unveiled new car and van winter tyres. The new high performance Eurowinter HS01 car tyre is the product of two years of development and thousands of testing miles, Falken says. One product of this period is the new 3D siping used in the innovative new tread design, which Falken calls Miura-Ori sipes. The tread also has interlocking grooves that help to handle tough winter conditions. The tyre is described by Falken as its latest high-tech product.
Falken Tyre’s Team Falken air race team will seek further success in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship when it heads to Ascot, Berkshire on 13-14 August 2016. The Japanese tyre brand was the Official Partner of the Red Bull Air Race Chiba earlier this year, and also sponsors Japanese competitor Yoshihide Muroya. The 43-year-old Team Falken pilot claimed his maiden victory last month at the Chiba event in the second year of Falken’s successful partnership.
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