A new kind of hybrid, a new kind of Yokohama tire

June 12, 2011

Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. has begun delivery of its premium comfort tire, the Advan dB, to Toyota Motor Corp. for the new hybrid Prius a (for alpha). The original equipment size is 205/60R16 92V.

Vehicles fitted with the Advan dB went on sale May 13, 2011.

Developed "as a quiet, smooth-riding tire for a new age," according to Yokohama, the Advan dB has lower rolling resistance than comparable Yokohama tires (see "Yokohama puts green technology to the test").

Yokohama Tire's BluEarth mark appears on the side of each tire as an indication of its fuel-saving performance of the tires (see "Yokohama is orange and blue at Auto Shanghai").

Continuing the fuel efficiency, environmental performance and spirit of innovation brought on by the cutting edge technology of the Prius, the "Prius a" has a comfortable interior available allowing multiple seat arrangements, making it unique among hybrid vehicles.

The Toyota OE fitment is the second for the Advan family of tires in the last two weeks (see "Daimler takes Advan-tage of Yokohama OE tire").