Bridgestone Turanza Eco gets VW Golf 8 original equipment approval

Bridgestone Turanza Eco tyres have become an original equipment for Volkswagen’s eighth generation Golf. The new model includes a number of cutting-edge technologies, such as a semi-autonomous mode and a new suspension technology improving its handling and driving dynamics. The custom-designed Turanza Eco tyres add to this technological focus. They are designed to enhance the Golf 8’s upgraded driving dynamics, with the tyre manufacturer’s Enliten Technology reducing rolling resistance, weight, and materials consumption. VW has also approved Nexen’s N’blue S and Winguard Sport 2, and Vredestein’s Sportrac 5 and Wintrac Pro tyres as OE for different iterations of the Golf 8.

Click here to learn more about Bridgestone’s Enliten Technology

Bridgestone’s Enliten Technology boosts fuel efficiency, offering significant environmental benefits. Tyres with this technology also improve vehicle handling and driving dynamics through lowered rotating mass to help increase driving pleasure. The tyre manufacturer has previously supplied the Turanza Eco to VW for its electric ID.3. This was the first time Enliten Technology was made available on a road car, marking another milestone in the long-term partnership between Bridgestone and Volkswagen. The tyre has also been supplied as OE on the new Fiat 500 La Prima.

Volkswagen specified a tyre offering super low rolling resistance without comprising other performance areas when developing the Golf 8. The custom-developed Turanza Eco achieves a best-in-class EU label A-grade in rolling resistance, as well as enabling improved vehicle handling. The tyre capitalises on the synergy between the Enliten materials and a new mixing process enhancing their wear performance without compromising on grip. The tyre’s 3D pattern design maximises wet and wear performance, backed by a B grade on the tyre label for wet grip.

How Enliten Technology improves tyre characteristics

Bridgestone Turanza Eco (photo: Bridgestone)

The lightweight tyre technology helps new Bridgestone tyres to reduce rolling resistance by up to 30 per cent lower, when compared with a conventional Bridgestone summer tyre (the manufacturer used a 225/40R18 XL 92Y size tyre in internal testing). The conservation of fuel is enhanced by the tyres’ weight reduction by up to 20 per cent too, The tyre manufacturer states that up to 2kg fewer raw material resources are required to produce the new tyre, benefitting resource efficiency and end-of-life stage management.

VP consumer replacement and OE at Bridgestone EMIA, Steven De Bock, said: “To this point we have talked about Enliten Technology as a breakthrough in sustainable tyres – and rightly so – but the improvements it can make possible in the realm of driving experience are also significant. Due to the low driving resistance and low weight of the Turanza Eco with Enliten Technology, the tyre’s impact on driving dynamics – on lower-powered engines in particular – becomes clearly visible.

“It’s fantastic that we’re able to bring to life the different benefits of Enliten Technology – environmental sustainability and driving pleasure – in collaboration with our long-term partner Volkswagen, as we continue to deliver on our commitment to provide social and customer value as a sustainable solutions company.”

Developed at Bridgestone EMIA’s R&D Centre in Rome, Italy, and produced in Spain, the new 205/55R16 91H Turanza Eco tyre with Enliten Technology is was launched in Europe in August 2020.