Southam Tyres adds Falken 4×4 tyre to range

Micheldever’s 4×4 tyre specialist distributor Southam Tyres has announced that it will add the Falken WildPeak WP/AT01 all-terrain tyre to its range. Falken Tyres UK director, Matt Smith says: “Falken will be adding more size ranges for the UK replacement market in order to meet the demand for performance 4×4 and SUV tyres.”

Falken’s Wildpeak WP/AT01 met the design challenge of providing both a safe, controlled and comfortable ride on-road and a stable performance on rugged off-road terrain. It has a hard bead apex and jointless nylon band to stiffen sidewalls, minimising the wallowing effect that can lead to greater steering input that ultimately upsets the car balance.

The tyre has four multi-angled grooves designed to divert large amounts of mud and snow from the tread, reducing clogging and increasing traction. It uses larger circumferential voids typical of off-road specialists to aid off camber traverses. On the road, phase-shifted tread bars reduce noise at high-speed, a key need of modern 4×4 drivers.
 
The brand’s more specialist SUV tyre, the Azensis FK453CC is available in 14 sizes, for models between the BMW X3 and the Mercedes ML.. To deliver the stability, higher speed requirements and increased loading experienced with sportier SUVs, the Azenis FK453CC features a more warp-resistant casing construction. The tyre incorporates an additional, nylon-reinforced cover ply and more rigid sidewalls to improve stability at speeds up to 300km/h (186mph). A rounder tyre shoulder shape optimises pressure distribution across the tread, resulting in a 21 per cent improvement in steering stability, according to Falken.

“Thanks to the rounder shoulder and phase-shifted tread bars, pass-by noise is reduced by 15 percent compared with the tyre’s predecessor,” adds Yukio Yoshida, Falken Tyre Europe’s corporate planning director. The size range now includes 255/55R19 and 275/40R20.