Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) has launched the all-new Bridgestone Turanza Prestige flagship grand touring tyre. The tyre is designed to fit high-end luxury sedans and crossovers with wheel sizes ranging from 17 to 20 inches in rim diameter and comes in 18 different fitments with H, V and W speed ratings. The tyre comes with a 70,000-mile (112,000 km approx.) limited warranty and will be available from 1 March 2025.

The Turanza Prestige tyre offers 13 percent more wear mileage than the Pirelli P7AS Plus 3 tyre and 44 percent more than the previous generation Turanza QuietTrack tyre. In head-to-head testing, the Turanza Prestige showed seven percent better wet braking than the Pirelli P7AS Plus 3 tyre thanks to a new, deeper tread pattern designed to swiftly drain water. This is made possible due to a high-tech compound featuring Bridgestone’s proprietary PeakLife polymer that is composed with soybean oil. Turanza Prestige is designed with more shoulder sipes, broader centre ribs, zigzag grooves, full-depth 3D sipes and fewer tread-block pitches to lessen road vibrations and preserve pleasant, steady and smooth contact with the road.

Dale Harrigle, Chief Engineer, Consumer Replacement Tire Development, Bridgestone Americas, said, “Our all-new flagship tyre, Turanza Prestige, is designed to deliver the exceptional ride comfort, quietness and wear life to the most luxurious sedans and crossovers on the market. The inclusion of our patented PeakLife polymer and ENLITEN technology delivers an uncompromised grand touring experience with our 70,000-mile warranty.”

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NEXEN TIRE has been distinguished as a finalist in two categories at the prestigious 2025 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). The company earned this recognition for its visionary concept tyres, NEXIST and CELLEXIS, which were developed to address the complex transportation challenges of future megacities. The IDEA awards, hosted by the Industrial Designers Society of America, are globally renowned for honouring superior achievement in design innovation, aesthetic appeal, user benefit and societal value.

The NEXIST concept is engineered for a future of urban air mobility, anticipating a landscape where traditional road space is scarce. It is designed as a lightweight, high-performance component for fully autonomous vehicles capable of vertical take-off, utilising advanced carbon composites while retaining the familiar form of a tyre. The second concept, CELLEXIS, reimagines public transport with a modular system inspired by the efficiency of a red blood cell. Its unique spherical structure, equipped with multi-directional omni wheels, functions simultaneously as the tyre, a docking mechanism and a passenger entry point, aiming to streamline urban transit and lessen reliance on private cars.

These projects are the result of a collaboration with the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, an agency of South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. For NEXEN TIRE, such concept tyres are a critical platform for demonstrating technological leadership, design philosophy and a commitment to sustainable mobility. This accolade marks the third recent year the company has been honoured with an IDEA award, following wins in 2022 and 2023, highlighting a sustained commitment to pioneering design.

This latest achievement is part of a broader pattern of international recognition for NEXEN TIRE in 2025. The company also secured a Red Dot Design Award for its Winguard Sport 3 tyre and a North American Green Good Design Award for its N’FERA Sport R and N’BLUE 4Season 2 models, collectively affirming its growing stature and competitive edge in the realm of innovative and environmentally conscious design.

John Bosco (Hyeon Suk) Kim, CEO, NEXEN TIRE, said, “This award is a testament to our philosophy and innovative efforts to deliver differentiated experiences that resonate globally. We will continue to develop designs and technologies that bridge the present and future of mobility.”

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Giti Tire (USA) Ltd. has announced a new national distribution partnership with American Tire Distributors (ATD). Under this agreement, ATD will distribute Giti and GT Radial brand tyres throughout its extensive US network.

The collaboration is a strategic move for Giti, designed to significantly expand market reach and improve product accessibility for customers by leveraging ATD's distribution expertise. This alliance also strengthens ATD's product portfolio with Giti's innovative and high-value tyres. Both companies anticipate the partnership will create substantial mutual benefits and support their respective growth initiatives in the market.

Dr Enki Tan, Executive Chairman of Giti Tire, said, “This partnership is a pivotal step in our growth strategy, extending our reach and enhancing customer service. Collaborating with ATD leverages their vast distribution network and expertise, making our products more accessible and opening new markets. We are confident this alliance will yield significant benefits for both entities.”

Ira B Silver, President & Chief Executive Officer, American Tire Distributors, said, “We are excited about our partnership with Giti and the opportunities it presents. This move underscores ATD’s strength in attracting premium brands seeking nationwide, best-in-class distribution.”

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The German rubber industry is calling for the European Commission's planned postponement of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to be used to make the rules more practical. This perspective comes from the German Rubber Industry Association (wdk), which believes the delay presents a critical opportunity to streamline the regulation for all parties involved.

The association's President, Michael Klein, has specifically proposed that the German federal government advocate for the introduction of a ‘first-touch principle’. This concept would require only the initial company placing an EUDR-regulated product on the European market to submit a due diligence declaration. Klein argues that the current requirement for each subsequent actor in the value chain to repeat the declaration for the same material generates high bureaucratic costs and inefficiencies.

According to Klein, limiting the obligation to a single declaration at the start of the value chain would be an elegant solution. He states that it would not only drastically reduce the administrative burden on businesses but also significantly lower the control burden and IT infrastructure requirements for EU authorities. The wdk president positions this as a win-win scenario and a tangible test of the commitment by both the German government and the EU to meaningfully reduce bureaucracy.

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ZC Rubber reinforced its European growth ambitions by convening key partners at the 2025 Westlake TBR Dealer Conference in Madrid. The event assembled strategic wholesalers, service providers and major fleet operators like DSV to outline a collaborative future focused on the fleet segment as a primary growth engine.

Marking a decade since the Westlake brand's European introduction in 2014, the conference highlighted a trajectory of steady expansion. This progress is evidenced by the delivery of over 300,000 Westlake truck and bus radial tyres to the region in 2024, securing an estimated 2.5 percent market share. In response to increasing market competition, ZC Rubber unveiled a comprehensive fleet service strategy aimed at delivering enhanced value. This plan prioritises deep technical collaboration, including on-site support and joint testing initiatives, alongside promotional programmes designed to help partners fortify client relationships. A critical objective is the establishment of a continent-wide service network to guarantee consistent support.

The agenda featured perspectives from Ákos Barcsik, Deputy General Manager of ZC Rubber Europe, on product innovation, while contributions from Interpneu, a German service provider, and logistics leader DSV offered practical insights into fleet needs and customer service. These discussions provided concrete directions for future cooperation. Under the unifying theme ‘Stronger As One, Together To Win’, the conference successfully fostered a spirit of partnership, reaffirming a shared commitment to expanding the Westlake brand’s presence across Europe’s dynamic commercial tyre market.

Leo Liao, Sales Director, ZC Rubber Europe, said, “Over the past decade, Westlake has established a strong foundation in Europe. Now, our mission is to work hand in hand with our partners and fleets, delivering technical expertise, stronger service capabilities and real business value. By focusing on fleet solutions, we are confident Westlake can achieve sustainable growth and become an even stronger player in the European market.”

Barcsik said, “In Europe, our priority is to provide fleets with the right tyre products backed by technical expertise. With reliable products, on-site engineering support and tyre testing programmes, we help partners deliver measurable performance and cost efficiency to their customers.”

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