18 December 2024 12:06 am Views - 168
CEAT Kelani Executive Director Rohan Fernando, MD and CEO Ravi Dadlani, Chief Operating Officer Shamal Gunawardene and CEAT R&D Centre Frankfurt General Manager Global Outdoor Testing Sven Rath at the launch of the CEAT Europe range in Colombo
Sri Lankan automobile enthusiasts can now access global-standard, high-performance radial tyres with the launch of the Europe range by CEAT Kelani Holdings for luxury cars and SUVs.
Comprising of 19 tyre sizes in six different patterns, these tyres for rim sizes of 16 to 18 inches, are classified high performance (HP) and ultra high-performance (UHP), according to the European parameters and have been developed and tested at the CEAT R&D Centre in Frankfurt, Germany.
“With this range, which is already in use on European roads, CEAT continues to move up the quality ladder to offer new paradigm products to Sri Lankan consumers,” CEAT Kelani Chief Operating Officer Shamal Gunawardene said.
“These tyres represent significant improvements in critical areas such as driving stability, precision steering and braking response in diverse conditions and terrain, making them an exciting addition to our vast radial tyre portfolio.”
From the smallest tyre in the range – SecuraDrive 195/55 R16, which fits vehicles such as Toyota Premio, Toyota Allion, Kia Stonic, MG- ZS, Toyota Prius and Honda Civic, to the largest –CrossDrive AT 265/60 R18, which fits Toyota Land Cruiser, Mitsubishi Montero and Toyota Hilux SUVs, the CEAT Europe range meets the stringent quality standards expected by the European vehicle manufacturers.
The range also has tyres designed for BMW X1, Mercedes Benz C Class, E Class, V Class, CLA 180, GLE Class and AMG CLA Class cars, Audi A3 and A4 and Peugeot 3008, Kia Sorento and Sportage, Nissan X-Trail, Honda CR-V, Toyota Harrier and Toyota RAV4 and Jeep Wrangler, Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton vehicles.
Designed with advanced technology and performance-driven innovation, the CEAT Europe range encompasses the sub brands SecuraDrive, SecuraDrive SUV, SportDrive, SportDrive SUV, CrossDrive AT and CZAR AT, all representing high-performance specifications, with the SportDrive series designed to deliver precise steering and superior braking at speeds of up to 250 km/h, the company said.
Fittingly, the new range was launched in Colombo with the attendance of CEAT R&D Centre Frankfurt General Manager Global Outdoor Testing Sven Rath alongside the directors and senior management of CEAT Kelani Holdings and the company’s top dealers in Sri Lanka.
The largest domestic manufacturer of cross-ply and radial tyres in Sri Lanka, CEAT’s emergence as the top brand in the country’s tyre sector is the result of substantial investments over several years that have seen not just exponential increases in volumes but expansion of the product range, deployment of new technology and quantum improvements in quality. The company’s manufacturing operations encompass pneumatic tyres in the radial (passenger cars, vans and SUVs), commercial (Bias-ply and radial), motorcycle, three-wheeler and agricultural vehicle segments.
CEAT Kelani Holdings currently manufactures half of Sri Lanka’s pneumatic tyre requirements and exports about 20 percent of its production to 16 countries. The joint venture’s cumulative investment in Sri Lanka over the past decade alone exceeds Rs.8.5 billion.