ERJ Tire Tracker: November/December

Nexen Tire has launched its latest summer tire, Nexen N´ blue S, which it says will deliver “advanced safety, energy efficiency, and superior driving stability.” The tire has upgraded wet grip and braking distance having been “significantly reinforced by the inclusion of highly dispersed silica.” Compared to its predecessor, the tire achieves an 11% improvement in wet braking distance.

Yokohama Rubber has launched a new ultra high-performance winter tire, the Advan Winter V907, as an afterparts tire for the Mercedes-AMG E-Class luxury sedan. Sales initially are mainly through Mercedes-AMG dealerships in Europe. With plans to develop the tire for the replacement market in Europe in 2025. The tire features the technologies used in Yokohama Rubber’s Advan Sport series as well as the ones used in the production of winter tires. As a result, the tire achieves “an unusual combination of high performance on snow as well as in dry conditions.”

Firestone has launched Firestone Vanhawk 3, a new summer, EV-ready tire for light commercial vehicles. Compared to its predecessor Vanhawk 2, the tire delivers 13% longer mileage, a 10% rolling resistance reduction and a 13% improvement in wet braking. The tire employ’s Bridgestone’s Enliten Technology, which delivers improved wear efficiency through an increased tread depth, with its compound providing optimised abradability.

Yokohama Rubber is supplying its Advan V61 tires as OE to Mazda Motor for use on the new crossover SUV, the Mazda CX-80. The tire provides “superior handling performance” while being “highly wear resistant.” The tire is also claimed to display “exceptional hydroplaning resistance”, providing a “superior wet grip performance.”

Volkswagen Group has announced it has chosen Kumho Tyres to be the OE tire supplier for the latest generation Volkswagen Passat and Skoda Superb. Kumho will supply its ECSTA HS52 tires as the OE tire for the group’s two new models. The tire, according to Kumho, has a “robust tread block pattern” allowing it to maintain consistent grip while reducing shock and noise.

Continental Tires will be supplying PremiumContact C for factory fitment on the electric SUV BYD Seal U, the tire maker has announced. The tire offers features a special silica in the rubber compound that reduces energy absorption through the tire while the vehicle is in motion and, in turn, reduces friction and rolling resistance. This leads to high energy efficiency and a long tread life. Earlier last month, Continental said it was supplying its EcoContact 6 Q tires as OE for the BYD Seal.

Sumitomo Rubber USA is recalling certain Falken WildPeak AT4W size 275/60R20 115T tires. The tires may have been produced using the incorrect cord material for one of the plies, according to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The sidewall label incorrectly identifies the generic name of the cord material. As such, the affected tires do not meet the labelling requirements of “New pneumatic radial tires for light vehicles.”