Destination: Eco-friendliness

June 7, 2012

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC (BATO) recently launched the next generation of two of its popular tire lines. The Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus and the Firestone Destination LE2 were introduced at an event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nev.

Both tires have the company’s “Eco-Product” distinction for Bridgestone — or Firestone-brand tires designed for improved environmental performance over the predecessor product.

“Our Eco-Product distinction means it has improved rolling resistance, environmentally conscious materials, and reduced tire weight which conserves resources and lengthens tread life,” said Julie Porter, BATO’s product manager, touring and eco products. “This will also be the first eco product we have where it is stamped on the sidewall.”

Bridgestone says the Turanza Serenity Plus features a quiet ride, wet performance, long tread life and ride comfort. It also has improved winter performance and fuel efficiency. It replaces the Turanza Serenity.

All Turanza Serenity Plus products come with increased limited tread wear warranty — the V-rated with a segment-leading 75,000-mile limited tread warranty, an increase of 25,000 miles from its predecessor. Turanza Serenity Plus will be available starting in June in 30 sizes ranging from 15- to 19-inch rim diameters. They will be H-, V- and W-rated.

The Firestone Destination LE2 replaces the Firestone Destination LE. Made for CUV, SUV and light truck applications, it has improved dry performance, ride comfort, a quieter ride and better fuel efficiency.

“In the last 10 years, one of the most significant changes in the automotive industry has been the advent of the crossover vehicle,” said Rod Hutchinson, BATO’s product manager, light truck-SUV-CUV. “That has driven changes in tire technology. When we think about a tire that’s designed to suit a crossover vehicle, we need to think more about a quiet and comfortable ride, and more about tuning, than previously.”

Hutchinson said that feedback from BATO’s retail sales associates drove improvements in the tires that were researched and designed at Bridgestone’s Akron tech center.

The Destination LE2 features a 15% improvement in its rolling resistance coefficient, which translates to up to 2% in fuel economy improvement over its predecessor product. Destination LE2 has been available since the beginning of the month in 37 sizes ranging from 15- to 20-inch rim diameters with T- and H-speed ratings.

“We’re always working to make our products even better for our customers, and we’re excited to bring these next generation tires to market,” said Larry Magee, president, consumer tire U.S. and Canada, BATO.

“Both Turanza Serenity Plus and Firestone Destination LE2 are high-demand products for today’s drivers, and we are excited to raise our own bar in providing even more performance as we continue to evolve these brands.”    ■