Yokohama India Launches New Geolandar X-CV SUV Tyres

Yokohama India has expanded its Geolandar SUV tyre series with the new Geolandar X-CV - the second road-focused offering in the series after the Geolandar H/T. The new X-CV range is being offered in sizes ranging from 16 up to 20 inches, with up to 32 tyre profiles to be offered. Sales of the tyres commence later this month through the company’s Yokohama Club Network and select authorised dealers. Prices have yet to be revealed.

Interestingly, Yokohama said that India is the first market in which it is offering the Geolandar X-CV in 16 and 17 inches, with the series starting from 18 inches and up in global markets.

Also read: Michelin Launches First India-Made Passenger Car Tyres; New Primacy 5 Range Prices Start at Rs 10,000

Commenting on the decision, Nitin Mantri, Chairman, Yokohama India, said, “So, why did we come down to 16 inches? There are different parts of the world, right? So when you go to, let me say, the US or European market, the tyres start at 15 and then go up to—kind of the sweet spot would be 18 and 19, which would be the widest number of vehicles. When you come to India, we start at 12, and our sweet spot is 15-16 inches, and it's kind of moving up constantly. So, to make sure that we are able to get into the centre of the SUV market, which is, let's say, 16 inches would be your Creta or Seltos, and so on, we want to come down to that level to make sure that we are making our technology accessible to a wider range of Indian consumers.”

Mantri ruled out going to a smaller size, citing the need to focus on the premium space with the new range.

“In this particular range, worldwide, we sell only 18 inches and higher. For the Indian market, we have come down to 16. But given the premiumness of this tyre, we don't think we want to go down to 15. We'll stay 16 inches or higher,” he said.

Yokohama claims that the Geolandar X-CV features an asymmetrical pattern with four main grooves to improve wet grip. Additionally, the tyres have been designed and engineered to help reduce road noise, while a full nylon cover and two-ply sidewall are claimed to improve durability and high-speed stability. The company also says that the tyres are EV-compatible.

Initially, the Geolandar X-CV series will be offered in 17 sizes starting from 195/60 R16 and going up to 275/45 and 275/50 R20. An additional 15 tyre sizes will be added to the range in the R17, R18 and R19 sizes in the future.