Hankook Tire is continuing its original equipment supply to the Volkswagen Tiguan with deliveries of the Ventus evo SUV for the third-generation model. The compact SUV wears the Hankook tyre in five 18-to-20-inch sizes.
The fourth generation in the Hankook Ventus evo range of ultra-high performance tyres harnesses an Artificial Intelligence-enabled mixing process to “overcome traditional trade-offs”. Announcing the new product, simply known as the Hankook Ventus evo but carrying the new product number K137, Hankook said the tyre “combines outstanding wet grip with impressively low rolling resistance and high mileage.” Longevity, Hankook says, has been boosted by a whopping 32 per cent. The manufacturer also called the new Ventus evo’s development “a perfect example of AI-assisted development,” increasing its flexibility to all summer road conditions with a six per cent boost in dry braking in addition to better performance in the wet. By the end of 2025, Hankook says the new Ventus evo range – including the Ventus evo SUV – will be available in 94 sizes for a particularly wide range of vehicles.
Distribution of Xpeng in the UK will be “in early 2025” with the introduction of the advanced G6 mid-size SUV. But what tyres will the cars be fitted with? Suggestions that the carmaker with factories in Zhaoqing and Guangzhou, Guangdong province would choose Chinese tyre brands are undermined by the fact that the G6 is pictured wearing Michelin rubber in promotion shots located in London, Paris and Amsterdam.
In the November 2024 issue of Tyres & Accessories, now available as an e-paper for Tyrepress subscribers, we take a look at the 4×4/SUV tyre segment and the garage equipment sector. Also featuring the latest news and analysis from the international tyre business, this issue includes a special focus on the UK, with a report from the NTDA Tyre Industry Conference 2024 and the winners of this year’s Tyre Industry Awards. Non-subscribers can gain access to Tyrepress with a print or online subscription. Tyre professionals can take advantage of the current Tyrepress Membership offer, helping to drive business online and stay informed with the industry’s leading magazine and websites.
A recent review of the SUV tyre market shows that the demand is strong, with SUV sales exceeding 1 million in 2023, increasing 23 per cent between 2022 and 2023. With a clear requirement for more SUV tyres, Davanti states that it has developed its range through a strenuous tyre testing programme on some of the world’s toughest proving grounds, offering motorists reliability, safety and performance.
With the sustained increase in SUV tyre sales continuing, and demand likely to continue to grow, low-cost brands that have achieved a prominent position in the UK replacement tyre market are offering more products to suit this market. Landsail, the brand produced by Sentury Tire and distributed in the UK by Grouptyre, is one such tyre brand, and its latest SUV tyres, the CLV2 and ultra-high performance LS588 SUV, are designed particularly to meet the requirements of price conscious drivers of road-going SUVs.
Yokohama is supplying its Advan V61 tyres as original equipment (OE) to Mazda Motor Corporation for use on the automaker’s new crossover SUV, the Mazda CX-80, sales of which will be launched in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and other countries in October 2024. The tyre sizes are 235/60R18 103V and 235/60R18 107V.
As the UK heads towards the wet winter months, Yokohama has a broad range of tyres for all-weather driving. Equally capable of tackling all terrains and mud, while delivering excellent fuel efficiency, comfort and safety performance, the Geolandar A/T G015 is proving to be the tyre of choice for more-and-more SUV owners.
The rise and rise of the SUV has been the dominant feature of the European car market in recent years, with increasing numbers of SUV drivers demanding a wider variety of performance features, from on-road performance to off-road traction. This has resulted in the introduction of new products to Kumho’s SUV/4×4 line-up such as Ecsta PS71 SUV and Road Venture AT52 and significant range extensions to established patterns.
Hankook offers an extensive range of powerful performance tyres built for the wild, ensuring confident and controlled off-road driving. Offering optimum all-terrain capability designed specifically for off-road vehicles, Dynapro, Hankook’s core 4×4 tyre collection, comprises of the Dynapro MT2, an all-season off-road tyre, Dynapro AT2, a 4×4 and SUV tyre, and the newest addition to the Dynapro family, the Dynapro AT2 Xtreme – tough in all terrains.
Although many owners rely upon it, the added traction of four-wheel drive doesn’t suffice alone to ensure safe driving on snow or ice. Fitting the right tyre is just as important, arguably more so. Winter tyres are a niche product in the UK, but unbeatable for anyone who needs grip in these harshest of conditions. To help you select the right product, Auto Bild Allrad tested 12 brands of size 245/45 R18 winter tyres for SUVs and 4x4s in a range of conditions. The test team also entered a summer tyre into the fray to highlight the massive difference in capabilities between regular and winter tyres in certain conditions.
Toyo Tires is an original equipment supplier for the Mazda CX-80. As such, the company reports that it will supply Toyo Proxes Sport tyres to the crossover SUV in size 235/50 R20. The tyre maker has not reported specific details of the arrangement, such as where Mazda will sell vehicles fitted with Toyo tyres.
All-season tyres are becoming increasingly popular, especially among drivers of four-wheel drive vehicles who seek a reliable, weather-independent solution for their everyday journeys. But not every all-season tyre lives up to its promises. Auto Bild Allrad has tested ten tyre models in size 245/45 R18 to determine how they perform under various conditions, including snow, wet roads, and dry surfaces.
The new smart #3 Brabus edition is begin factory equipped with EcoContact 6 Q tyres from Continental. Specifically, the SUV coupé is being fitted with 245/40 R20 99V XL tyres as original equipment. The smart #3 is the second model produced by the joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and the Chinese manufacturer Geely.
It has been a little parky outside these last few days, but another sign of winter’s approach is the publication of comparative tests for specialised cold weather tyres. German motoring magazines Auto Straßenverkehr and auto, motor und sport (ams) have jointly evaluated ten winter SUV tyres in size 235/55 R18. The results of the two tests differ slightly as Auto Straßenverkehr looked at purchase price while ams did not, but this factor didn’t affect the final table ranking.
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