Petlas starts sales of new summer tires
Petlas releases a new summer tire, the Petlas Prestige Sport, designed to provide high safety and comfort at high speeds on both dry and wet roads, and will also be available under the name Starmaxx Dynamix Sport.
The new tire from the Turkish brand features an asymmetric tread pattern, with the outer zone design improving lateral stability, while the center ribs enhance steering sensitivity, and the wide drainage grooves in the inner section, combined with silica in the rubber compound, increase safety in rainy conditions. Additionally, the densely arranged shoulder blocks reduce braking distances on wet roads, four wide longitudinal grooves reduce the risk of aquaplaning, and the optimized tread element arrangement improves acoustic comfort.
The production of the rubber compound utilized Petlas' experience in motorsports, which, according to the company, increased the lifespan of the tires, as the resistance to high temperatures was improved.
The development of the tires, which are intended to "strengthen the company's position in the premium segment", took approximately three years, and during the presentation, held at the factory in Kırşehir, Petlas General Manager Hakan Yalınız noted: "We produce tires with 300 different patterns in 3500 sizes, and we believe that the Prestige Sport will enhance our competitiveness thanks to its outstanding braking performance on wet surfaces, excellent grip, and low noise level".
Yalınız also stated that in 2024, the "tire sector globally reached sales of 2.5 billion units, which is 3.5% more compared to the previous year, and in Turkey, a record was broken with the sale of around 23 million passenger and light truck tires". "Petlas achieved a 5.4% increase in sales in units in the passenger tire segment, and in total, we sold 7.5 million tires in the Turkish and international markets", he said.
According to the head of Petlas, in 2025, the company intends to enter new markets in Asia and Africa, such as Mongolia, Myanmar, Gabon, Zambia, and Botswana. "44% of our revenue comes from exports, and Turkish-made tires are supplied all over the world", he emphasized.
Currently, Petlas does not cooperate with any passenger car manufacturers, but Yalınız said that the situation is expected to change soon. "We are already working with manufacturers of tractors, trucks, etc., and with our new product, we are ready to become a tire supplier for passenger cars", he said.
The media also reports that during the presentation, plans were announced to build a new factory in Kırşehir, next to the existing one, with investments of around $860 million, and the company intends to launch production in 2030. The expected capacity of the plant is 10 million tires per year.
Kırşehir is also home to the only tire testing track in the country, built by Petlas, where the tests of the new product were conducted.
Prestige Sport was launched in the Turkish market in 20 sizes, from 205/50ZR17 to 295/35ZR20, with speed indices H, W, and Y. According to the EU labeling standards, the tires received an "A" rating for wet grip and external noise, as well as "B-D" for fuel efficiency.