Tokyo - The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced today that it will begin sales of the BluEarth*Winter V906, a new winter tire for passenger cars in Europe, from this autumn. The tire will be available in 30 sizes, ranging from 225/40R18 92W XL to 185/65R15 88T.

The BluEarth*Winter V906, based on the concept of “Powerful Traction", improves upon the performance of its predecessor tire, the BluEarth*Winter V905, in two key areas considered important for winter tires by European drivers—performance on snow and ice and wet-grip performance—while also maintaining a high level of wear resistance.

The tire’s tread pattern is based on Harmony Tread Design concept that positions grooves, blocks, and sipes in a harmonious layout that delivers a more powerful performance. Smooth V-shaped grooves efficiently displace snow and water, while the Uniform Pressure Blocks evenly distributed over the entire pattern increase the tire’s rigidity to deliver outstanding grip performance on all winter road surfaces. Optimally placed widespread 3D sipes enhance the tire’s edge effect to further improve its performance on snow and ice. The tire’s tread compound is a newly developed super-rich silica compound that uses a large amount of silica to dramatically enhance the tire’s wet-grip performance. Yokohama Rubber’s proprietary A.R.T. Mixing Technology, an advanced reaction mixing technology, greatly improves the dispersibility of materials, which heightens the efficiency of the silica. Meanwhile, the tire’s unique construction includes a low-heat generating undertread rubber that maintains a low rolling resistance.

The consumer tire strategy in Yokohama Rubber’s current medium-term management plan, the Grand Design 2020 (GD2020), includes a winter tire strategy that aims to assert performance leadership in winter tires supplied in Japan and overseas markets. In addition to a lineup of winter tires, studless tires and stud tires, in 2018 Yokohama Rubber introduced its first all-season tire for the European market, the BluEarth-4S AW21. The company is accelerating the development of new products and expanding the size lineup of existing products.