Sumitomo Releases New All-Season Tire for North America
In May 2025, Sumitomo closed a deal to acquire the rights to the Dunlop brand from Goodyear in several regions of the world, and now the company is starting to use the emerging opportunities and is releasing new all-season Dunlop Blue Response A/S touring class tires to the North American market, designed to improve comfort, including during long trips, and optimized to maintain efficiency over a long period.
"This can be called a brand launch. This can be called a brand restart. I, however, consider it a return home," noted Ken Syu, Vice President of Marketing at Sumitomo Rubber North America (to be renamed Dunlop Tires North America), while the CEO and President of SRNA, Darren Thomas, said that the Dunlop brand will be positioned in a higher price segment compared to the Falken brand (except for the off-road tire sector), and on the target market, it is planned to occupy 5-10%. To do this, it will be necessary to increase sales in the region to 5 million tires per year within five years, which, according to Thomas, is a "completely realistic scenario".
Regarding the novelty, Syu noted that this is the first Dunlop tire on the North American aftermarket, which is designed, manufactured, and sold exclusively by the Japanese company. In the future, according to him, Sumitomo will develop the brand's presence in motorsports, as well as offer a full range of touring, sports, winter, and light truck tires for both the aftermarket and the original equipment sector.
The Dunlop Blue Response A/S features a tread pattern with wavy 3D grooves designed to provide reliable traction in various weather conditions, including snow, as well as to reduce noise, while silica particles in the rubber compound increase fuel efficiency and help the compound maintain elasticity at low temperatures. In addition, the rounded profile improves ride smoothness, and the deep sipes are designed to guarantee a stable level of traction as the tread wears out. The warranty mileage is 130,000 km, and the tires are equipped with special wear indicators located in both shoulder zones.
The new tires are designed for premium and luxury vehicles such as Auca RDZ, Cadillac XT5, Genesis G80, Lincoln MKZ, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and others, and will be available in 80 sizes with a diameter from 14 to 20 inches. In the North American market, Sumitomo has also introduced the Dunlop Sport Maxx RS sports tires, which were released in Japan in 2024.