Goodyear’s DuraPlus tyre is well-known for its marketing pitch which claims that given the right conditions, a set of these will last 100,000km before needing to be changed. It is a particularly attractive preposition for high mileage users and one that has seen the DuraPlus being a highly popular choice amongst taxi drivers.
A new tyre with the same promise was launched today, and it sees the DuraPlus name now affixed to the comfort-oriented Assurance family creating the Goodyear Assurance DuraPlus. Offered in seven different sizes catering to 14- and 15-inch rims, the Assurance DuraPlus is being pitched at users who are non-enthusiasts but nevertheless have high demands in durability, safety, and cost.
More size variants will be added at later times, and the Assurance DuraPlus is gradually being phased in as a replacement tyre for the existing DuraPlus tyre. For sizes which the Assurance DuraPlus is not currently available, Goodyear will continue offering the existing DuraPlus tyre, particularly in the case of 175/70 R13 and 195/55 R15 tyres, which the company identifies as being sizes with demands that are contracting and stagnating respectively, despite being heavily used by taxis such as the Saga (BLM and Iswara), Wira, and Waja Campro.
To ensure that the Assurance DuraPlus meets its lifespan promise, Goodyear has equipped it with what the company calls TredLife Technology, in which wear-resistance is improved by increased carbon content in tread compound further helped by a larger tread width design that spreads more rubber over the road, ensuring distribution of wear over a wider surface. Finally, maximized rubber volume and added tread depth provides greater wear margin and thus help stretch the tyre’s lifespan.
Inside the tyre, underneath its treads is a layer of reinforced DuPont Kevlar (the same kind of stuff used for bullet proof vests) help provide added stiffness and strength to the tyre for better robustness, particularly over harsh surfaces.
Besides engineering of the tyre itself, the Assurance DuraPlus is additionally protected by Goodyear Malaysia’s six-month Worry Free Assurance Programme which offers consumers a free replacement tyre in the event of irreparable damage due to road hazard subject to there being more than 6.7mm of tread depth left in the tyre. In the event of tread depth between 5.5 and 6.6mm, Goodyear will credit against the purchase of a new Goodyear tire of the same size and design.
The list of available sizes and their respective list prices (GST inclusive) are as follows: – 165/65 R14 72H: RM225.99 – 185/60 R14 82H: RM227.37 – 185/65 R14 86H: RM254.93 – 185/70 R14 88T: RM279.73 – 195/70 R14 91H: RM312.81 – 195/60 R15 88V: RM307.29
– 195/65 R15 91T: RM325.21
Keyword: Goodyear launches new Assurance Duraplus tyres in Malaysia