Tyre giant Goodyear celebrated its 125th anniversary with an event commemorating the milestone, organised in Malaysia. Aside from hosting a technological showcase of previewing its recent tyre concepts, the brand also unveiled four new tyres for the Asia Pacific markets, including one that is launching in India later this month.
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Starting the range is the new India-bound Assurance MaxGuard, a new addition to the Assurance range already offered in the market. Set to launch on September 21, Goodyear says that the new MaxGuard is designed to improve performance in the wet while also being more durable. The company said that the new MaxGuard tyres feature a 10 per cent greater contact patch along with using up to 80 per cent more silica in the tread compound along with new wet booster resins to improve grip especially in the wet. The tyres also feature additional structural enhancements such as 2 layers of carcass ply with higher cord density and 2 belts with high tensile steel to better protect tyres from damage from uneven road surfaces.
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The MaxGuard range will target models across a wide spread from more mass market models all the way to entry-luxury segments.
The company also introduced the new Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 tyres targeting sports and performance cars along with new Wrangler DuraTrac RT for 4x4 off-roaders and the new ElectricDrive for EVs.
The company said that the Eagle Asymmetric 6 have been engineered with dry and wet tarmac conditions in mind as well as reducing tyre noise. The DuraTrac RT, as mentioned previously, targets off-road enthusiasts wanting a tougher alternative to regular all-terrain tyres. The RT stands for rugged terrain with the tyres featuring larger more prominent groves along with notable reinforcements to tackle tougher terrain including a three-ply sidewall to prevent tyre cuts on rough terrain.
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The EV-specific ElectricDrive meanwhile, as per the company, have been designed with the needs of EVs in mind. Goodyear said that the tyres will not only help maximise grip while also using technology borrowed from the company’s ETCR electric racing tire to better handle the torque characteristics of EVs – maximum torque from the go. The company also said that the tread pattern and tyre construction had also been engineered to optimise road noise for a more silent drive.
The company however did not reveal plans to introduce any plans to introduce the three models in India for now.
Goodyear also let the media sample all tyres (save for ElectricDrive) on closed courses at the Sepang circuit, with all tyres performing admirably in their applications. The Asymmetric 6 offered good levels of grip when pushed hard on a handling course while the DuraTrac RT handled the short off-road course with little fuss.
