Goodyear DuraPlus - good for 100,000 kms!

Posted on June 10, 2009 12:00 AM

If you could drive around the Earth at its equator, the distance for one circuit would be about 40,000 kms. Such a journey would, if it were possible, see most tyres having 20% tread life remaining after one circuit but if the drive is done with a new tyre from Goodyear, there would be 60% tread life remaining. So it would be possible to go not just one circuit but two and a half times round the globe! The new tyre is the DuraPlus which is claimed to be good for 100,000 kms of use and it’s now available in Malaysia.

Besides the significance of being the first tyre to lay claim to being good for 100,000 kms of driving, the introduction of the DuraPlus also sees Goodyear getting into a segment which it has not focussed on before. This is the low end of the tyre market in Asia or what the Goodyear people refer to as the 'value segment’. It’s a segment which is very price-sensitive and the players are from China, India and other Asian countries. Thus far, Goodyear has never targeted this segment, perhaps because it is a somewhat 'cut-throat’ business and to deliver the sort of quality standards that Goodyear will never compromise on, it was not worthwhile … at least not until a couple of years ago when the company decided to get into the segment which is expected to grow at 9% annually.

It’s the 'waking the sleeping giant’ scenario for Goodyear to enter this segment, the nightmare that the low-cost players have hoped would not happen. The American tyremaker not only has just over 100 years of experience but it has advanced R&D resources which are among the best available in the tyre industry. Such resources enable Goodyear to develop technologically superior tyres at appropriate price points to suit different segments. Even more important is the fact that Goodyear is the Most Trusted tyre brand, according to a 2009 survey done by Reader’s Digest in the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand.

Daniel Smytka, Goodyear’s Vice-President for Consumer Tyres in the Asia-Pacific, said the decision to develop a product for the value segment began two years ago and the project took just over a year to complete. Some 100 engineers at the Goodyear R&D Centre in Luxembourg were involved in developing a tyre with the target of 100,000 kms service life which could be sold at a competitive price in the low end of the market.

”We did a thorough analysis and survey of customer requirements and based on our understanding of their needs and priorities in tyre performance, we then briefed the engineers on what we wanted for the market,” said Mr Smytka at the ASEAN media launch in Thailand last week. “Our engineers took on the challenge of developing a tyre that would be good for 100,000 kms and gave us DuraPlus which has the best technology to meet customer expectations in this segment.”

The 100,000 kms is a claim and not a guarantee, clarified Richard Fleming, who is the Managing Director of Goodyear ASEAN & Thailand. He said that testing had shown the tyre capable of more than 100,000 kms and he is confident that many customers will be able to get 100,000 kms or close to it. Of course, like fuel consumption claims by carmakers, there are a lot of variables which are beyond the control of the manufacturer. In the case of tyres, a lot depends on road conditions, tyre maintenance (pressure and alignment) and of course , driving style. Under-inflation especially can cause accelerated wear but Goodyear can’t control that factor.

Offering a tyre that lasts so long would seem to be detrimental to business. Tyre dealers are used to seeing customers come back for a new set every couple of years and a 100,000 km tyre could mean that that they won’t come back for 5 years. Goodyear’s business would slow down, you’d expect, but Mr Fleming doesn’t see that happening. “If we had 100% of the market, yes, that could be the outcome but unfortunately we do not so there is a lot of opportunity to grow our sales in Asia and DuraPlus will win over many new customers for us. So we expect that rather than be bad for business, this tyre can boost our sales throughout the region because we offer a product which is great value for money.”

The confidence Goodyear has in the long mileage claim comes from extensive testing on test tracks, in the laboratory and on Asian roads prior to launch. As a further demonstration of the capability to last 100,000 kms, the Goodyear DuraPlus Endurance Challenge is now running in Thailand. This event, which ASEAN media members contributed 218 kms to at the launch last week, will go on for seven weeks and besides the DuraPlus, some cars in the test fleet (all Toyota Vios 1.5J) are also running on popular tyres from other leading brands so that comparisons can be made.

Manufactured in Goodyear factories around the region, the DuraPlus is intended only for the replacement market and not likely to be offered as original fitment by carmakers. In Malaysia, its recommended retail price is from RM139 to RM222 and is available in the following sizes: 175/70R13, 185/70R13, 165/65R13, 165/60R13, 185/70R14, 195/70R14, 185/65R14, 185/60R14, 165/55R14, 195/65R15 and 195/60R15. This range covers quite a number of the most popular models in Malaysia such as the Honda City, Toyota Avanza/Vios/Unser, Hyundai Matrix/Accent, Naza Citra, Perodua Kancil/Kelisa/Viva/Kenari, and Proton Iswara/New Saga/Wira/Persona.