CEAT launches radial tyres for SUVs and high-end cars
Monday, 12 August 2013 00:03
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Sri Lanka’s leading radial tyre brand CEAT has conquered another frontier with the launch of radial tyres for sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and high-end passenger cars, entering one of the most discerning product segments in the category.
The all-new ‘Czar’ radial tyres have been specifically manufactured to meet the increasing needs of the SUV and 4x4 vehicle markets, the company said. They will initially be available in two popular sizes – 235/75 R 15 and 235/70 R 16 – that fit most SUVs and off-road vehicles on Sri Lanka’s roads. The new radial for passenger cars launched as part of the CEAT Milaze range is in the 195/65 R 15 size for cars such as Toyota Allion, Peugeot 406 and Mazda Axela.
The launch of these tyres from the CEAT Kelani radial plant in Sri Lanka was described as a milestone in the seven-year journey to market dominance of CEAT radials, which now account for more than 30% of the radial tyres sold in the domestic market.
Top tyre dealers who attended the gala launch were also provided a preview of an all-new hi-octane communications campaign themed ‘Where have you been lately?’ that will represent CEAT’s evolution into a brand that is completely in sync with and supports the lifestyles and aspirations of its customers.
Speaking at the launch, CEAT Kelani Holdings Managing Director Raman Rajagopalan noted that CEAT radial tyres have stood the test of time and now satisfy the needs of more than a million users in Sri Lanka. “We have increased our range dramatically and with the launch of radials for high-end passenger cars and SUVs, CEAT is embarking on a new journey,” he said, also announcing that the CEAT Kelani plant’s production capacity is to be doubled within the next eight months.
In June this year, CEAT Kelani Holdings launched a range of high-performance, heavy-duty truck and bus radial tyres branded CEAT Altura in five sizes for prime movers, trailers, luxury buses, bowsers, cement carriers and similar heavy load carrying large commercial vehicles, substantially expanding its offering in the radial tyre segment.
Under the CEAT Milaze brand, the company now offers five sizes of radial tyres for vans and 12 sizes of radial tyres for passenger cars. CEAT’s passenger car tyre portfolio now includes the sizes 145/70 R12, 145/80 R12, 155/80 R 12, 155/65 R 13, 155/80 R 13, 165/80 R13, 185/70 R13, 165/70 R14, 175/70 R13, 175/70 R 14, 185/70 R14 and 185/65 R 14 catering to makes such as Suzuki Maruti, Omni, Alto, Alto LXI, Alto K10, Estillo, A Star, Mahendra Maximo, Toyota Passo, Nissan Sunny AD Wagon, Nissan FB 13, SB 13 , FB 14, FB 15, N 17 and Pulsar, Toyota Starlet EP 82 and EP 91, Toyota Corolla 110, Toyota AE 90, Toyota Belta, Vitz, Toyota Carina, Mitsubishi Lancer and Tata Indigo.
A global tyre brand present in 110 countries and now headquartered in India, CEAT is an acronym that stands for Cavi Electrici Affini Torino, or Electrical Cables & Allied Products of Turin, with origins that date back to 1924 in Italy. A National Business Excellence Award winner in 2010, 2011 and 2012, CEAT Kelani Holdings is a successful Indo-Sri Lanka joint venture between the RPG Group of India and Kelani Tyre – Sri Lanka. The company operates three manufacturing units manufacturing truck, light truck, radial, motorcycle, three-wheeler and agricultural tyres, and employs a workforce of 1,000 people.
