It isn’t coming to the UK – or Australia and New Zealand, for that matter – but many other markets are being introduced to the latest generation Toyota Prius this month. In Europe, the fifth-generation car will be exclusively available as a plug-in hybrid, and Toyota will launch this model in spring. Prius will be available from the factory on Yokohama tyres.
BMW M GmbH is adding a “formidable special edition model” to its product range in 2023, an “exclusive high-performance car that combines supreme dynamic prowess with the everyday usability of an M3 saloon.” Announcing the upcoming debut of the BMW M3 CS, BMW (UK) says the car will come with “track tyres as standard.” Accompanying photos show this tyre to be the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S.
BMW M has selected Pirelli P Zero Elect tyres for the new BMW i4 M50, the first fully electric car developed by the brand’s high-performance division. Pirelli is supplying this original equipment tyre in the front axle size 255/35R20 97Y XL P-ZERO(*) elt and the rear axle dimension 285/30R20 99Y XL P-ZERO(*) elt.
The first entirely electric Škoda to wear the brand’s go-fast vRS badge arrives in UK showrooms this week. This is of course the Škoda Enyaq Coupé iV vRS, a 299PS EV capable of completing the 0-62mph sprint in just 6.5 seconds and achieving a top speed of 111mph. Enyaq Coupé iV vRS models are equipped with black 20-inch Taurus wheels as standard or optional 21-inch Vision wheels with an anthracite finish. Original equipment tyres come courtesy of Bridgestone, Hankook or Pirelli.
As we shared early last December, Lamborghini has chosen Bridgestone to be the exclusive tyre partner for the new Huracán Sterrato, providing standard and winter fitments for the world’s first all-terrain super sports car equipped with a V10 engine and all-wheel drive powertrain. Bridgestone has now furnished us with further details about the new Lamborghini’s footwear.
The bZ4X is the first model in Toyota’s beyond Zero range of all-electric vehicles, and the crossover SUV is now being sold in global markets. The UK-spec car is available with 18- or 20-inch rims as standard, and Toyota has selected Bridgestone as original equipment supplier for both. The entry-level Toyota bZ4X Pure and mid-range bZ4X Motion are equipped with Bridgestone Alenza 001 tyres in 235/60 R18 103 H, while the top-of-the-range bZ4X Vision wears 235/50 R20 104 V XL.
Giti Tire has unveiled its first A-grade rolling resistance HGV tyres for the Chinese market with a new original equipment deal for the Mercedes-Benz Actros. The Giti GAR206 and Giti GDR207, in size 315/70R22.5, have been fitted at Daimler’s Beijing automobile plant since 23 September with the first deliveries reaching customers in November.
Continental has received original equipment approvals for the new BMW X1 compact SUV and is supplying EcoContact 6 Q tyres in 18- to 20-inch sizes. Owners looking for a dedicated winter fitment can also obtain the WinterContact TS 860 S from BMW dealerships.
The third-generation Subaru Crosstrek went on sale in Japan in December 2022, and Sumitomo Rubber Industries shares that it is supplying its Falken Ziex ZE001 A/S as an original equipment tyre. The Crosstrek will wear the all-season Falken tyre in size 225/55R18 98V.
It has supplied original equipment tyres to the US version of the Nissan X-Trail for more than a decade, and now Hankook Tire is additionally equipping this model in international markets. The SUV will wear Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 tyres in size 235/55R 19V.
Dunlop shares that its Geomax MX33, a “proven championship-winning tyre,” has once again been chosen as original equipment on the factory edition models from three of the most successful motocross racing brand’s.
Maxam has expanded its global original equipment supply commitment with the approval of the Agrixtra product line to select Case IH and New Holland brand equipment in North America. Maxam says the series has been helping it make inroads into the OEM supply sector since its launch almost a decade ago. Agrixtra tyres are building a reputation for performance in the value end of the global tyre market, assisted by the new deal with two leading global agricultural manufacturers.
Hankook Tire Europe’s intensive expansion of its original equipment truck tyres business over the last half-decade hit significant headwinds at the end of 2021. As a result, the manufacturer made the decision to largely discontinue corresponding deliveries at the start of 2022. Speaking to Tyres & Accessories’ sister magazine in Germany, Neue Reifenzeitung (NRZ), representatives from Hankook’s European headquarters in Neu-Isenburg were clear that the company had not withdrawn from original equipment, but that there has been an interruption, which will be followed by a “restart” in the next two years. This raises the question of how this strategic decision will be received in a shrinking market, while many in the aftermarket are wondering why such a drastic move was necessary in the first place.
Dunlop Sport Maxx Race 2 tyres are available as an ‘N2-rated’ original equipment option on the new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the range-topping variant of Porsche’s 718 family. Porsche has homologated the N2 version of Dunlop Sport Maxx Race 2 for use on the 718 Cayman GT4 RS as well as the 718 Cayman GT4 in the front axle size 245/35ZR20 and in 295/30ZR20 for the rear axle.
Days after announcing that its Alenza is an original equipment fitment on the all-electric BMW iX, Bridgestone shares that the fifth generation Lexus RX will also roll on these tyres. Lexus will equip models of the hybrid SUV sold in Europe and Japan with Alenza 001 tyres, while Bridgestone will supply the Alenza Sport A/S for versions of the Lexus RX sold in North America.
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