Pirelli has shared further details about its new Powergy range. The tyre maker says it will offer this replacement market summer tyres for cars, crossovers, SUVs and MPVs in 55 sizes for 17- to 20-inch rims and H to Y speed ratings by the end of this year.
Yokohama’s Advan Sport V107 has been approved for fitment on the Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 4MATIC. The SUV went on sale in Europe in December 2019. The GLB 35 can be outfitted with 21-inch 255/35ZR21 98Y size Advan Sport V107 tyres. The deal expands Yokohama’s already thriving relationship with Mercedes-AMG.
Three of the top ten best-selling cars in Europe are SUVs. The growth of this market is such that the meaning of the terms has come to encompass a broad range of vehicle applications. Broadly though, a motorist can expect an elevated driving position, hatchback practicality mixed with some degree of all-terrain ability, and rugged looks. Handling a wide range of conditions and environments is a big part of their appeal, meaning tyre technology in the SUV segment needs to support these applications, as as Thomas Gesenhoff, technical project manager at Goodyear, explains.
As the April edition of Tyres & Accessories went to press, the story of the Ever Given – the 400-metre long container ship that got wedged in the Suez canal – was getting a surprising amount of news coverage. The spectacle of a ship the length of four football pitches was enough to capture the attention of many. For others, the anecdotes of tenacious tug pilots and plucky digger drivers trying to free the gargantuan vessel from its unscheduled moorings did the trick. But for those in the tyre trade – and hundreds of other lines of work connected with global logistics – there were solid business reasons for their interest. “How many boxes have you got on the Ever Given?”, one tyre wholesaler asked. “It’s times like this…”, the other comically replied leaving the rest of his reply to the imagination.
The Ford Ranger Raptor is now exclusively fitted with General Grabber AT3 tyres as standard. The high-performance off-road pickup from Ford features a specially developed motorsport-friendly chassis. And its particular performance qualities come to the fore at high speeds away from paved roads.
Like all vehicle manufacturers, Ford defines a wide range of requirements, which Continental (the manufacturer of the General Tire brand) reports the Grabber AT3 “more than met during intensive testing”.
For the last few years Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) take-up has continued apace. Indeed, according to the latest UK vehicle registrations figures, cars that can be described as SUVs now occupy a significant portion of new vehicle market share. Indeed, the Nissan Qashqai crossover was the third most popular purchase in February 2021, according to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). And the Volvo XC40 as well as the Volkswagen T-Roc and Tiguan also figure in the top 10. Of course, all these vehicles need tyres so there is every chance that the recent trend towards SUV tyre replacement sales is also going to continue over the next few years. But what about last year? With these trends in mind, the month’s SUV tyre feature takes a closer look the best products on the market beginning with a detailed look at the latest market data produced in association with GfK.
Giti Tire’s original equipment progress has continued with another fitment for Groupe Renault’s Dacia brand. Three months after it announced the new Dacia Sandero and Logan models would roll of factory lines on the GitiSynergyE1, the carmaker has selected the same tyre for the new Dacia Sandero Stepway. Giti will supply the tyre in size 205/60R16 92H for the model, which has recently gone into production. The GitiSynergyE1 is also OE on the Seat Arona crossover, a VW Group model in the same vehicle segment.
A year after Tread Ltd added a Golf 8 to its vehicle line-up, the testing specialist has once again upgraded its tyre test fleet in a move that includes SUV and 4×4 investment.
The breadth of Kumho’s 4×4 tyre range has been further enhanced by the addition of the new Ectsa PS71 SUV in some 12 sizes, specially developed for large, powerful SUVs and designed for 100 per cent on-road use. As a result, the vast majority of requirements will be covered by the newcomer and other on-road products such as the Crugen HP91 and HP71, plus the cross-functional Road Venture patterned MT51 and AT61. Between them, they cover everything from top-end SUVs such as the Audi Q7, Range Rover and BMW X5 to the ever-popular classic Land Rover Defender.
Contract manufacturer SD-International’s Zeta and Toledo tyre brands offer a range of patterns for all types of SUV vehicles.
For its part, the Zeta brand features the Impero range, which provides “modern and stylish designed high performance SUV patterns” that are said to “guarantee overall superb safe drive” as well as “All Season road handling performance”. The Impero range also offers a new tread compound and profile thar results in a 25 per cent improvement in wet grip. The Zeta Impero is currently available in 54 sizes, ranging from 215/65 R16 to 285/35 ZR22.
With a growing number of SUVs on the roads – both ICE and electric – there is an increasing need for high-performance tyres that can handle heavier loads without sacrificing performance. Whether you need a sporty, lower-profile tyre or a more traditional offering, company representatives say Davanti Tyres has a range that addresses such demands.
Singapore-based contract tyre manufacturer Sumo Firenza is promoting its “tough and rugged” Firenza-branded AT186, HT183 and ST185 SUV/4×4 tyres. All three patterns are designed and produced in what the company calls “state-of-the-art tyre building facilities in Asia”.
Following the inaugural edition in Goa two years back as well as thousands of smaller editions in different locations over the last 24 months, Apollo Tyres’ #BadRoadBuddies concept returns in a digital format. Since most of the activations have moved to the virtual space, the company has also chosen to build the community of enthusiasts online and is opening this event to SUV owners/drivers and the two-wheeler riders, who enjoy drives during the weekend or on leisure/adventure trips.
Bridgestone reports that it is gaining extra traction in the SUV market, thanks to its range of top performing products, which have “never been more integral to its premium portfolio”. The company’s Dueler range continues to offer broad coverage in the SUV tyre segment and has more recently been supplemented with what the Turanza T005, Weather Control A005 and now the ultra-performance Potenza Sport offer.
Yokohama’s Geolandar CV G058, a grand touring tyre for crossover SUVs, was among the winners at the recent Chicago Athenaeum 2020 Good Design Awards. The award-winning tyre is part of Yokohama’s Geolandar range of tyres for 4x4s, SUVs and crossover vehicles.
Established in 1950, The Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award, is the world’s oldest and most prestigious worldwide design award. Organised by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, candidate products are judged by experts who evaluate them from diverse perspectives, including design, use of new technologies, materials and function.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
Daimler
Goodyear
Copernicus Sentinel; Pierre Markuse; CC-BY-2.0
General Tire
Dariusz Sankowski; Pixabay
Tread Ltd
Kumho
SD International
Davanti
Sumo Firenza
Apollo Tyres
Bridgestone
Yokohama