Singapore launch of the Fleva V701 high-performance and BluEarth-es ES32 eco tyres

SINGAPORE – April 10, 2017 saw the release of two new tyres from Japanese manufacturer Yokohama here, the Advan Fleva V701 and BluEarth ES32, at a launch event held by local distributor YHI Corporation Singapore.

Above photo, left to right:
Mr. Richard Tay  (Group Managing Director YHI Corporation Singapore Pte Ltd) 
Mr Toru Suzuki (President Yokohama Asia Co.Ltd) 
Mr. Takashi Matsui, (COO Senior Managing Director Sanko Progress Mabis Corporation)
Mr. Tay Tiang Guan (Executive Director YHI Corporation Singapore Pte Ltd)

Yokohama Advan Fleva V701

The Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 is the latest addition to Yokohama’s flagship Advan range, which denote the brand’s sporty, high-performance rubber.

It’s a general purpose sport tyre which replaces the old S Drive AS01 model. Yokohama says it’s aimed at ‘bringing greater driving pleasure to a diverse group of car owners from sports cars to limousines, compact cars and CUVs’.

Compared to the brand’s existing, top-rung high-performance tyre, the Advan Sport V105, the Fleva offers slightly more comfort and less noise with the trade-off of less grip and handling. It’s designed primarily as a street tyre, as Yokohama also says its key quality is ‘emotional handling’ in urban environments, highways and windy roads.

A number of new innovations allow Yokohama to boost the performance of the V701, most visible of which is the new tread pattern. The tyre footprint is an evolution of the AS01, but with a greater contact patch.

The main grooves (next to the pattern shoulder) have a jagged ‘lightning’ design which improve traction and help to resist hydroplaning. The inner tread features a ‘claw groove’ (the blade or leaf-shaped pattern) which Yokohama says helps to push water away from the contact patch, while the outside lug grooves are wider for improved stiffness and handling feedback.

Another feature of the tread pattern is contrasting pitch, that is the outside lug grooves and the claw grooves have different angles of steepness which, Yokohama claims, increases tread pattern stiffness, improves feedback, reduces tyre noise and maximises the contact patch. Like tyre tech employed by Bridgestone and Pirelli, Yokohama has also found a new way to blend tyre compounds it calls Nano Blend Compound, and the V701 has amongst other things: silica, wear-resisting polymers, rolling resistance reducing polymers, and orange oil.

The V701 is available in a wide range of sizes, for 15 to 20-inch wheels, with profiles of 30 to 55 and widths of 195 to 255.

Yokohama BluEarth-Es ES32
The ES32 is a new addition to Yokohama’s efficiency tyre range, BluEarth, and joins the existing AE-50 model. It’s a more mainstream offering compared to the latter. While both are aimed at large and small family cars, the AE-50 puts an emphasis on handling and quietness over the ES32, which prioritises wet handling, ride comfort, endurance and fuel efficiency.

Like the V701, the ES32 features a central lightning groove for improved water evacuation, while the next two grooves ‘wide straight grooves’ also augment straightline and braking performance in the wet.  Changing pitch technology across the tyre’s asymmetrical surface also reduces road noise and evens out the wear throughout the tyre’s life. Yokohama also says this makes the ES32’s contact patch more homogenous across the width of the patch. Nano Blend Compound technology is also in effect here, with low-rolling resistance polymer, ‘micro’ silica for improved wet grip and longevity, and orange oil for more pliability and larger contact patch.

As a mainstream tyre, the ES32 is available in tyre sizes of 13 to 18-inches, with widths from 165 to 235 and profiles of 70 to 40.  

Pricing information for both tyres will be available soon. Interested buyers can hit Yokohama for more info.