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Yokohama brings 2 new tire model lines to ASEAN region

Whole new ranges of premium comfort as well as performance rubber for new-energy vehicles

Two new Yokohama tire lines have just made their ASEAN debut. PHOTO BY RED SANTIAGO

Over the years, the trends and what motorists look for in tires have drastically changed. More knowledgeable customers now want tires to offer good grip, improved riding comfort, and better fuel efficiency.

This may seem like a tall order, but tire brands like Yokohama are up for the challenge. A trip to Bangkok, Pattaya, and Rayong in Thailand proved this as the company quietly launched two new tire ranges for the ASEAN market.

The author experienced the new tires at Yokohama's testing facility in Rayong. PHOTOS BY RED SANTIAGO

Advan has always been known as the top-tier performance line of the brand. But now, the company is using the model name for its more premium sets of tires.

Two of the ranges from the Advan branding have been launched for modern needs: the dB V553 and the Sport EV. The former is the successor to the successful V552 line of comfort-oriented tires, while the latter is a mid-level performance tire for new-energy vehicles (especially EVs).

Succeeding the dB V552, Yokohama made the Advan dB V553 better on all fronts. PHOTOS BY RED SANTIAGO

During a product presentation in Pattaya, the Japanese tiremaker highlighted the new models’ performance gains and improved ride-quality characteristics. But we couldn’t just take the brand’s word for it.

So, we went to the Yokohama Tire Test Center of Asia in Rayong the next day to put these tires to the test.

We first tried the new Advan dB V553 series. The product targets customers looking for better-performing tires while offering a quieter drive and improved ride comfort.

Changes in the tread pattern have significantly improved the Advan dB V553’s performance. PHOTO BY RED SANTIAGO

We drove hybrid versions of the Toyota Camry and Alphard fitted with dB V553s on the General Road track. The course featured asphalt-overlaid roads, with some rough areas and repaired patches, simulating real-world countryside roads.

We might not have measurement tools to quantify it, but we immediately noticed that tire noise levels crept in the cabin at much higher speeds than the usual tires. They did offer good road-hugging capabilities as we tried them on a makeshift slalom area at around 30km/h.

The author drove these two dB V553-equipped Toyotas on a track simulating real-world roads. PHOTOS BY RED SANTIAGO

The benefits become more apparent when you try the tires out at highway speeds. In the next test, we rode shotgun with Yokohama’s test drivers on the high-speed course of the facility. Here we had a BMW X4 diesel and a BYD Seal to ride.

The tire noise got inside the cabin at much higher speeds on the BMW. Initially, we had the impression that the louder diesel engine drowned out the noise made by the tires. It could also be the natural smoothness of these German cars that made driving more comfortable.

Yokohama claims to have minimized tire noise for the dB V553. PHOTO BY RED SANTIAGO

But a stint in the Seal proved that the tires offered more. Even with the super quiet EV, tire noise came much later at around 120km/h. Lane-changing areas also showed the great amount of grip that the dB V553s offered.

Later that day, we took turns trying out three identically specced Honda Accord e:HEVs to further highlight the work that Yokohama had made with the tires.

The first had a new set of dB V553s. The next had the same model of tires, but had 50% of wear. The last car was fitted with the older V552s that the new model replaces.

These identically specced Accords were fitted with different tires to show the different performance gains of the new Yokohama tires. PHOTOS BY RED SANTIAGO

In the cornering and braking area, we drove the cars in the dry and wet portions of the track. In the lane-changing area and the 50km/h turning area, there was an obvious difference in noise between the new and the older models.

We then sped the cars up to 80km/h and did some hard braking in the puddled-up area of the course. The older V552s did quite well. But with the V553s, both the new and worn ones did significantly better as braking distances were shortened even on wet surfaces.

The Advan dB V553 is said to offer improvements both in performance and riding comfort. PHOTO BY RED SANTIAGO

This best displayed the improved grip of the new models. This was made possible because of the staggered grooves and sipes on the tire’s tread that repelled water better, increasing the contact area to the road.

What’s surprising was the very similar noise levels on the new V553s and the ones with 50% wear. This was because the groove bottom shape of the tread changed from a ‘V’ to a ‘U’, keeping the same quiet performance even after wear.

The Advan Sport EV uses the same tread pattern as the tried-and-tested Advan Sport V107 tire, but built for new-energy vehicles. PHOTOS BY RED SANTIAGO

Later that day, we also tried the Advan Sport EVs that were fitted on a Tesla Model Y. The test driver aggressively maneuvered the heavy electric crossover at faster speeds in the track’s lane-change area. Despite the abrupt lane changes, the Tesla still had loads of grip, hugging the tarmac well for a stable drive. It was made to deal with the added weight and the insane amounts of torque common among EVs.

A new compound and Yokohama's SilentFoam technology allow the Advan Sport EV to provide loads of grip with less noise and better riding comfort. PHOTO BY RED SANTIAGO AND IMAGE FROM YOKOHAMA

A special polyurethane foam is installed inside the tire, helping reduce tire-cavity resonance—the sound a tire makes when it rolls over uneven road surfaces. These innovations are added to the same tread pattern as the Advan Sport V107 series of performance tires, offering a very sporty yet comfortable and quiet ride.

Finally, the Advan Sport EV ensures low rolling resistance, helping extend an EV’s driving range so you’ll have fewer trips to charge.

The Advan Sport EV provides better performance, enhanced comfort, and improved driving range for EVs. PHOTO BY RED SANTIAGO

The Advan dB V553 will come in 46 different sizes and aspect ratios ranging from 14-21 inches. The Advan Sport EV comes in 16 sizes with aspect ratios from 18-22 inches.

Both tires come with Yokohama’s E+ mark, which means that these can be used for different passenger vehicle models, including EVs.

The Advan dB V355 and the Advan Sport EV can be used for ordinary vehicles and EVs. GRAPHIC FROM YOKOHAMA

Yokohama Tire Sales Philippines, distributors of Yokohama tires in the country, has yet to share a date for the arrival of these tires in our market. However, a representative has assured us that these will hit the market by the fourth quarter of the year.

So, if you need to purchase new tires, consider adding these new Yokohama model ranges to your short list.



Red Santiago

A jack of all trades, Red is passionate about cars, motorcycles and audio. He sometimes drives for a ride-hailing app company—just because he really loves driving.



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