Press release
Tyres for compact cars still in fashion:
Summer tyres for small cars are a long-running
success
Hanover, April 2011. Summer tyres for small and
compact cars continue to be popular. For tyre brand
Semperit this was reason enough to keep focusing on
development and launch a new car tyre - the ComfortLife 2. Last year consumers in western Europe
purchased some 46 million tyres for vehicles in these
two categories. For Semperit the new model is therefore
an important mainstay in a highly competitive market.
The Comfort-Life 2 comes in a wide range of sizes with
47 products to choose from and approvals for speeds up
to 210 km/h (131 mph) - certainly sufficient for small,
nippy cars like the Smart, Lupo, Fiesta and Hyundai i 20.
To ensure that the new Comfort-Life is successful on the
market, the tyre developers at Semperit have improved its
performance quite considerably versus its predecessor.
Rolling resistance has been reduced by 6% and braking
distances by up to 10%, whilst handling characteristics were
further enhanced. Rolling noise, which is particularly audible
for drivers of smaller, lightweight cars, was also cut by
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around 5%. For product manager Roman Gaebel, who wants
his brand to convey an assurance of quality, these driving
characteristics - which affect safety and economy - are key to
the success of the new Comfort-Life 2. The 'alpine proven'
trademark of these tyres, with their Austrian origins,
underlines the fact that even under adverse weather
conditions they offer safe driving characteristics on both wet
and dry roads.
Semperit is firmly established in Austria, the land between
the River Danube and the River Drava. In southern
Germany, too, tyres bearing the stylised 'S' in their trademark
have a steady following of fans whose purchasing decisions
are regularly confirmed by the positive test results issued by
the trade press. In issue 3/2009 of its magazine 'motorwelt',
the German motoring organisation ADAC, for example, gave
the predecessor of the new Comfort-Life 2 top marks, rating
it as 'highly recommended'. The sales figures are also
impressive - between 2005 and 2009, Semperit produced
over 3.5 million tyres for the small car category. "We want to
use the new Comfort-Life 2 to ensure continuation of our
high level of market acceptance" Roman Gaebel explains,
although he does anticipate a slight reduction in demand in
the segment as a whole. "In Europe the overall trend is more
towards larger tyres with approvals for speeds of over 210
km/h (131 mph)." He goes on to say: "Last year demand
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from consumers in western Europe reached around 46
million tyres for small cars; by 2015, we expect the market to
stabilise at just under 40 million." Nevertheless the 'small tyre
segment' remains attractive to Semperit. "Whoever makes a
good offer to consumers needing 13"-15" tyres will survive
well in the market over the long term" says Gaebel
confidently.
There is fierce competition in the tyre market serving the
small and compact car segment, with tyres being offered by
European, American and Asian manufacturers ranging from
'premium' to 'very cheap'. Unknown brands have a tough
time on this market and sales often rely on price rather than
on the tyres' driving characteristics. However Semperit, the
well-established Austrian brand, scores in terms of
manufacturing quality as well as through its 'alpine proven'
driving characteristics. After all, Semperit products are
designed to perform safely, even in such adverse
circumstances as changing weather conditions, poor
stretches of road with limited visibility or situations where
abrupt evasive manoeuvres are required.
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Tyre range:
80 Series:
70 Series:
135/80 R 13 70 T
145/70 R13 71 T
145/80 R 13 75 T
155/70 R13 75 T
155/80 R 13 79 T
165/70 R 13 79 T
155/80 R 13 83 T XL
165/70 R 13 83 T XL
165/80 R 13 83 T
175/70 R 13 82 T
175/80 R 14 88 T
165/70 R 14 81 T
175/80 R14 88 H
165/70 R 14 85 T XL
175/70 R 14 84 T
65 Series:
175/70 R 14 88 T XL
155/65 R 13 73 T
185/70 R 14 88 T
165/65 R 13 77 T
185/70 R 14 88 H
175/65 R13 80 T
205/70 R 14 98 T XL
155/65 R 14 75 T
165/65 R 14 79 T
60 Series:
175/65 R 14 82 T
175/60 R 13 77 T
175/65 R 14 86 T XL
165/60 R 14 75 T
175/65 R 14 82 H
165/60 R 14 75 H
185/65 R 14 86 T
185/60 R 14 82 T
185/65 R 14 86 H
185/60 R 14 82 H
145/65 R 15 72 T
185/60 R 15 84 H
175/65 R 15 84 T
185/60 R 15 88 H XL
175/65 R 15 84 H
185/65 R 15 88 T
55 Series:
185/65 R 15 92 T XL
185/55 R 14 80 T
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185/65 R 15 88 H
185/55 R 14 80 H
195/65 R 15 91 T
175/55 R 15 77 T
195/65 R 15 95 T XL
Semperit is a tyre brand of Continental AG. With sales of €26 billion in
2010, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide.
As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains
and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics,
tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced
driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a
competent partner in networked automobile communication. Continental
currently employs approximately 150,000 people in 46 countries.
Continental is Europe's market leader for car tyres. In the Original
Equipment sector, over 30% of all new European cars leave the factory
on Continental tyres. The Tyre Divisions are an Official Sponsor of the
2014 FIFA World Cup BrazilTM. For further details, visit
www.ContiSoccerWorld.de.
Contact:
Alexander Lührs
Head of Public Relations
Car Tyre Division
Continental AG
Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
Büttnerstraße 25
D-30165 Hannover, Germany
Tel.: +49 511 938 2615
Fax: +49 511 938 2455
E-mail: alexander.luehrs@conti.de
Klaus Engelhart
Press Officer PLT-/Two-Wheeled Vehicles
Tires
Car Tyre Division
Continental AG
Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
Büttnerstraße 25
D-30165 Hannover, Germany
Tel.: +49 511 938 2285
Fax: +49 511 938 2455
E-mail: klaus.engelhart@conti.de
Media database at: www.mediacenter.continental-corporation.com
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