Michelin Re-launches Defender Tire Range in North America

French tire maker strengthens passenger car tire range with launch of new tires

United States: Michelin North America Inc. is going to expand its product portfolio by relaunching defender line passenger car tire by adding an H speed rating tire enabled with a new tread compound design ideal for consistent treadwear. The new defender tire is being offered in 12 sizes, ranging from 205/60/R16 92H to 215/55R18 95H. The company further plans on expansion of the existing range with addition of 20 more sizes by end of year.

As per the company, “The Defender is targeted at owners of some of the most popular sedans and minvans on the market, including the Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet Malibu, Chrysler Pacifica, Ford Focus, Honda Odyssey, Nissan Altima and Toyota Sienna”.

“We know that many consumers make tire-purchasing decisions based on warranty and price, but tire warranties, unfortunately, do not always accurately reflect the actual wear performance of a tire," "Our testing shows that specific tires from several leading competitors with mileage warranties between 80,000 to 90,000 miles will have a difficult time delivering the wear-life proclaimed by their mileage warranty” said by Scott Clark, chief operating officer, Michelin North America.

TechSci Research depicts that the decision made by the company to relaunch defender line of passenger car tire will give the company an access to a huge potential customer base present across the region. Eventually, the step taken by the company would generate an emerging demand for passenger car tires, which would influence the overall tire industry globally in coming period leading to the growth of the company in the country’s tire market.

 According to a recent report published by TechSci Research, “United States Tire Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2021”, The vehicle fleet of the country is dominated by passenger car segment, followed by light commercial vehicles, medium and heavy commercial vehicles, off-the-Road (OTR) vehicles and two-wheeler segment. As a result, the passenger car tire segment held the largest volume share in the country’s tire market in 2015, and its dominance is anticipated to continue during the forecast period as well. Leading global tire companies operating in the United States include Bridgestone, Goodyear, Michelin, Cooper, Continental, Sumitomo, Hankook, Yokohama, etc. Increasing automobile sales paired with increasing vehicle fleet are expected to drive the country’s tire industry through 2021. Moreover, growth in the country’s tire industry is backed by increasing sales volume of different vehicle segments, which is resulting in expansion of replacement automotive fleet in the US.