In mid-March 2024, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. began supplying 235/60R18 103H Dunlop Grandtrek AT tyres as original equipment on the new Lexus NX Overtrail, which launched in February.
Recent analysis from Transport & Environment found that SUV sales in the UK have increased consistently over the last few years. Indeed, in 2023 60 per cent of new car registrations were SUVs, but what does that mean for the tyre industry? The shift in car manufacturing and consumer trends means there is an increase in demand for 4×4 and SUV tyres, which offer motorists reliability and safety, as well as the performance to tackle difficult terrains.
At the start of March, Goodyear launched the Dębica Presto in Europe. The Dębica Presto is aimed at “modern SUVs” and is said to offer “excellent wet grip and efficiency”. The first new SKUs have been available since January. A total of 22 new sizes will be on the market by August 2024.
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. is supplying its BluEarth-XT AE61 tyres as original equipment (OE) to Toyota Motor Corporation for use on the new Yaris Cross compact SUV , which was launched in Thailand in October 2023 and will be available in international markets, but not Japan. The Yaris Cross is being fitted with 215/60R17 96H and 215/55R18 95V size tyres.
General Tire, Continental tyre brand with American heritage, is arguably best known for high-performance SUV and all-terrain tyres. Alongside its prominent off-road range, General Tire also offers a wide range of road tyres including the Grabber GT Plus and Grabber AT3.
When choosing 4×4 and SUV tyres, it is ‘better to have, and not need.’ With this in mind, Auto Bild Allrad examines both on and off-road strengths in its 2024 summer tyre test. The publication examined 11 brands in size 235/55R19, and although none of the candidates achieved top marks on every type of surface, two tyres offer an “all-round no worries package on and off the road.”
Giti Tire has increased the available “Powered by Sparco” fitments of its GitiSportS2 ultra-high performance tyre in Europe, adding 22 new dimensions to the existing eight. This version of the tyre, which targets sports cars and premium SUVs with low ratio sizes between 225/45R17 and 315/30R22. All sizes are rated A for wet grip and the majority are speed-rated Y. In total, the GitiSportS2 is now available in 63 sizes with rims from 16-22”, section widths from 195-315, series sizes from 30-55, including SUV, and speed indices from V-Y.
If the market data is right, 2024 could be another busy year for SUV tyre sales. For garages, it means more and more SUVs coming in for tyre maintenance checks or new tyres. SUV drivers don’t necessarily need to be serious off-roaders. Unintentionally, drivers often find themselves changing from smooth surfaces, such as motorways, to country lanes or off-road driveways, not to mention the number of potholes on the roads in the UK. Couple this with unpredictable spring and summer weather, and having tyres that give them peace of mind, as well as excellent handling and reliability, is important.
SUV sales in the UK have increased by 23 per cent since 2022, according to Transport & Environment analysis of Dataforce data. In 2022, the number of new SUVs (sports utility vehicles) registered stood at 910,000 but now that number has grown by a third and stands at 1.12 million. In 2021, 50 per cent of all new car registrations were SUVs. In 2022, that figure stood at 57 per cent. And in 2023, that rose again to 60 per cent. If the trend continues, in 2027 SUV registrations could make up 75 per cent of new registrations.
BMTR Birmingham has secured a double victory in Pirelli’s UK retail network awards. The West Midlands retailer was awarded Pirelli Performance Centre (PPC) of the Year and Pirelli’s 4×4 Key Dealer of the Year, recognising BMTR’s “exceptional commitment to excellence and outstanding service in the automotive industry,” according to Pirelli. This is the fifth time BMTR have been crowned PPC of the Year. Chris Woodhall, sales director at BMTR, said the awards were “a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of our entire team.” Pirelli UK CEO, Livio Magni, said that the company applauds BMTR “for achieving this accolade for the fifth time. BMTR Birmingham has demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence in all areas of their business, from customer service to technical expertise.”
Yokohama Europe previewed its latest 4×4 tyre, the Geolandar A/T4, alongside the Geolandar CV 4S all-season SUV tyre in the snow of the Swedish arctic at the start of March. The event also showcased the rest of the company’s western European and Nordic friction winter tyre range.
Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS) says it now has stocks of the General Tire Grabber AT3. MTS is the exclusive UK distributor for the range, which it also supplies as an original equipment fitment for versions of the Isuzu D-MAX Huntsman Edition equipped with 18-inch tyres.
SUV and 4×4 tyres have stood out as a high growth, high margin sales opportunity for several years. Latterly, the growth of both all-season and EV-specific fitments has only served to strengthen the niche value of the segment. As we look forward into 2024, Tyres & Accessories takes a look at the latest data from market research specialists GfK in a bid to reflect on what has happened in the last year as well as to prepare for what might come in the next 12 months.
Not only is Goodyear expanding its Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 range to better cover growing demand from SUV drivers in the premium tyre segment, the company also aims to meet budget segment SUV demand with its Sava brand. From January 2024, 15 additional sizes join the Sava Intensa SUV 2 range.
The UK is nearing half a decade removed from general economic conditions resembling normality, four years since Brexit was (arguably) completed, nearly the same amount of time since the start of the Covid-19 novel coronavirus pandemic, heralding the world’s descent into an age of militarisation, and the continual flux of UK politics. Tyres & Accessories’ regular February Car Tyre feature has presented an overview charting the progress of the car tyre market over these years – readers can now access the preceding years’ issues in the T&A digital archive, hosted by Tyrepress. While change has remained reassuringly slow compared to the economic and political context, the latest panelmarket data from market analyst GfK – which uses point of sales tracking of sell-out tyres to produce an overall picture of the whole replacement market in the calendar year 2023 – demonstrates the ship-like progress of various trends since the relatively major disruption of 2020.
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