Three YOKOHAMA Tyres are Award Winners at 2019 SEMA Show
19 Nov 2019

Tokyo—The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., is proud to announce that its tyres won all three of the New Products Awards in the Tyre and Related Product category at the recent 2019 SEMA*1 Show, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from November 5–8. The SEMA Show is the world’s premier automotive specialty products trade event. The YOKOHAMA display at the event was operated by the company’s US sales subsidiary Yokohama Tyre Corporation (YTC).

In line with consumer tire strategy in its medium-term management plan, Grand Design 2020 (GD2020), Yokohama Rubber is accelerating the introduction of new products and has already launched nine new products in North America this year. Yokohama Rubber is also seeking to strengthen its presence in the North American market. Accordingly, the company participated in the SEMA Show for the first time in 11 years. The YOKOHAMA exhibit at the SEMA Show introduced attendees to the company’s abundant lineup of appealing tyre products, including its global flagship ADVAN brand and its GEOLANDAR brand of tyres for SUVs and pickup trucks. The high performance of YOKOHAMA tyres was clearly demonstrated by the receiving three New Products Awards.

The GEOLANDAR X-AT was named the winner in the Best New Tyre and Related Product category in recognition of its excellence as an SUV/pickup truck tyre, a new category for tires that enhance the off-road driving experience. In addition to its distinctly rugged appearance as an off-road tyre capable of delivering an outstanding performance in the most challenging conditions, the GEOLANDAR X-AT also delivers a comfortable on-road ride and outstanding environmental performance. The two Runner-up Awards in the same category also went to YOKOHAMA tyres—the GEOLANDAR X-CV highway terrain tyres for high-performance crossover SUVs, and the ADVAN APEX V601*2, an ultra-high performance summer tyre. The GEOLANDAR X-CV delivers a safe, comfortable and economic ride and has received the M+S (mud & snow) designation indicating suitability for driving in a sudden snowfall. In addition, all sizes in the tyres lineup have received the “W” speed rating that indicates suitability for driving at speeds up to 270km/h. The ADVAN APEX V601 was developed specifically for the North American market and features the latest high-performance tyre technologies as well as an asymmetric tread pattern reminiscent of that first used on one of the company’s most historically important tyres, the YOKOHAMA A008*3.

“Winning a prestigious SEMA New Product Award is a major achievement, but sweeping the category is unprecedented and a testament to the strides we’ve made in terms of our new products,” said Andrew Briggs, YTC’s vice president of marketing and product management.

*1: SEMA stands for Specialty Equipment Market Association of US automotive products manufacturers.
*2: ADVAN APEX V601 was developed specifically for the North American market.
*3: Marketed in Japan under the name ADVAN HF Type D.