The rise and rise of the SUV has been a dominant feature of the car market for some time now, and Kumho says this is having a “fundamental effect” on its tyre range. This can be witnessed in the most recent addition to the company’s SUV/4×4 line-up, the Ecsta PS71 SUV.
The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. is supplying Geolandar G91 tyres as original equipment (OE) for Subaru Corporation’s new Crosstrek (Japanese-market model), which was unveiled in September 2022. The SUV is being fitted with 225/60R17 99H size tyres. As well as the 225/60R17 Geolandar G91 tyre Yokohama is supplying, the Crosstrek will also be fitted with 225/55R18 tyres.
Kumho has launched a new winter tyre for the medium to large car and SUV market, the Wintercraft WP52. The new tyre follows the introduction of a new all-season van tyre from the Korean manufacturer, the PorTran 4S CX11, which added features from the lauded Solus 4S HA32 all-season car tyre to its existing winter van range. Kumho has established itself as a tyre supplier to Europe’s biggest winter tyre markets in the Nordic and Central Europe regions with a comprehensive range of well-regarded products, and is strengthening its position in the region’s growing all-season market.
Arguably best known in the UK through its agricultural range, Ceat also produces a full line of passenger and commercial tyres. The well-known Indian brand is now offering a comprehensive range in Europe and the UK, including products developed with the assistance of the CEAT European Technical Centre (CETC) in Germany. We will look at the truck range at a later date, and here focus on the eight lines Ceat is offering for the passenger vehicle and light commercial segments.
First presented at the SEMA show in Las Vegas back in 2014 and subsequently launched in Europe and dozens of other markets, Laufenn is Hankook Tire’s second brand. After introducing Laufenn to the world, Hankook is now bringing the brand home and offering it in South Korea for the first time. By debuting Laufenn locally, the tyre maker aims to “further accelerate” its domestic market penetration with a multi-brand strategy that satisfies “the diverse tastes of consumers.”
Pirelli’s P Zero and Scorpion Zero All Season tyres have been approved for factory fitment on the new Aston Martin DBX707, the most powerful luxury SUV in the world. Pirelli, which has supplied tyres to many previous Aston models, including the DBX, DBS, and Vantage models, specially developed new versions of the tyre to enhance the new model’s blend of performance, power, and comfort. The tyre manufacturer’s commercial strategy includes a particular emphasis on this high-value tyre segment, with the latest fitment further proof of its top of the range tyres’ ability to serve this market segment.
Safer, more comfortable, better performance. These three qualities are what Pirelli says motorists can now expect from its Scorpion range of SUV tyres following the range’s recent revamp, which the tyre maker undertook in response to forecasted global growth in SUV sales over the next few years.
New for 2022, the Mercedes-Benz EQB is a fully electric compact SUV that weighs in at 2.1 tonnes and delivers up to 292hp through its 66.5 kWh motor, power that will get it from 0 to 62mph in as little as 6 seconds. Versions of the EQB delivered with 19-inch rims as standard will roll from the factory on Continental tyres. Continental is supplying its EcoContact 6 to Mercedes-Benz in size 235/50 R19 103T XL.
With a wave of new ultra-high performance products from global brands arriving in the post-pandemic market, Tyres & Accessories looks at data supplied by specialist tyre industry analyst Astutus Research showing just how quickly the market for high rim diameter (HRD) tyres is now growing in Western and Central Europe (this data excludes Russia, Ukraine and the rest of Eastern Europe).
Hankook has been instrumental in setting a new Guinness World Records title with Challenge4 record-breaking driver Rainer Zietlow, in conquering the South American Andes. The all-electric vehicle reached a height of 5,816 metres up the Uturuncu volcano, which has two peaks reaching 6,008 and 5,930 metres. Zietlow set the new record on Hankook’s new all-terrain tyre, the Dynapro AT2.
Continuing our ongoing series of Torque from the top special interviews with influential industry figures, here Tyres & Accessories hears from Keon Park managing director, Kumho Tyre UK, who shares Kumho’s perspective on the challenges and triumphs of the last couple of years as well as the well-known brand’s hopes for the future.
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The latest Michelin all-season tyre for SUVs has been launched in European markets. Arriving from 1 May, Michelin says the CrossClimate 2 SUV is targeted at “drivers seeking a safe ride first and foremost, regardless of the SUV category.” It adds that this “new generation of four-season tyres” combines “multiple performances” and allows drivers to “contend with the majority of weather conditions, no matter the season.” CrossClimate 2 SUV is available at launch in 40 dimensions for 17- to 20-inch rim diameters.
During 2020, the whole of the sell-out market declined albeit not as badly as was feared. Still, with the exception of some distinct niches – such as instances in the logistics industry where tyre service providers were kept busy throughout the lockdowns – everyone was affected. SUV tyres were no different and saw overall value and volume figures fall 12 per cent, according to market analyst GfK’s January to December 2020 panelmarket data. 2021, however, was almost the mirror image of 2020 with the value of UK 4×4 and SUV tyre sales up 12 per cent compared with the equivalent full-year 2020 data. In other words, SUV tyre sales returned to growth mode in 2021, something that sets 2022 up for an even better year for those selling SUV and 4×4 tyres.
Pirelli will supply P Zero Elect tyres to BMW for its iX electric SUV and specifically for the xDrive50 and sportier M60 versions. P Zero Elect tires are available for the BMW iX xDrive50 version in 255/50 R21 109Y XL and 275/40 R22 107Y XL sizes, with the latter size also available for the M60. All these tyres are marked with a star to indicate homologation for BMW. Pirelli’s OE supply range includes a 22-inch BMW iX tyre with even more grip than the other two. This tyre has an “I” on the side, in addition to the star marking.
The Terratoura A/T from Davanti Tyres is designed to excel off-road and on-road in all weather conditions, while keeping the driver safe and in control, characteristics the brand suggests make the tyre: “unstoppable…across all terrains”. But what do its users say?
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