Tire manufacturer Bridgestone is launching three upgraded versions of its tire lines destined for the luxury sports sedan, SUV/ light truck, and crossover markets.
On April 19th, automotive journalists were invited to Dallas, Texas to check out the newest versions of the Bridgestone RE 980AS, Dueler A/T Revo 3 and Ecopia H/L 422 Plus tires. The Potenza RE 980AS, which replaces the RE 970AS, is offered in 53 fitments for 16 to 20-inch wheels. This ultra-high performance tire, designed for the luxury performance sedan market, offers increased grip and traction and a 25% increase in overall durability.
“We designed this tire for enthusiasts, those who are looking to tackle corners at high speed while remaining fully in control at all times,” explained Bridgestone President, Consumer Replacement Tire, Erik Seidel. While the tire offers increased traction in snowy conditions, it hasn’t been approved for winter use.
New Ecopia
The new Ecopia H/L 422 Plus evolved from the Dueler H/L 422. Rebranded under the Ecopia banner, it is offered in 27 fitments ranging from 16 to 20 inches, for owners of SUVs, crossovers and minivans. The tire was completely redesigned and integrated into the Ecopia family of tires as a result of feedback from consumers looking for a tire offering a certain degree of comfort and safety in every condition. During its launch, Bridgestone technical representatives explained the science behind the new tread compound, which extends tire wear to the point that it is covered by a 110 000 km warranty, while reducing fuel consumption by an impressive 7%.
Dueler A/T: More Teeth
Sporting an impressive new look, the latest edition of Bridgestone’s rugged Dueler A/T Revo 3 is a step up from the previous version of this popular SUV and light-truck tire. The tire’s evolution isn’t only skin-deep, as great as it looks, significant investments in time and money have also been applied to create a new tread that manages to walk the fine line between traction, road noise, handling and durability. The tread wear warranty has been kicked up to 95,000 km, a 20 % increase over the previous version. The new Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 is available in 37 fitments for 16 to 20-inch wheels.
“These products are very popular in the Canadian market,” pointed out Bridgestone Canada General Manager, Replacement Tires, Andy Robinson, during the launch. “These are evolutions of proven products that are popular in our market. This company is once again demonstrating its commitment as to the importance of investing in its products and continuously pushing the innovation envelope.”
Automotive journalists were provided with a full half-day to put these three new tires through their paces on specially designed closed circuit courses, as you will see for yourself by taking a look at these pictures and short video.
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