Six sizes of locally produced CEAT radial tires have recently been rigorously tested against leading competitor brands as part of an ongoing process to further develop CEAT’s existing product range and evaluate the performance of each product through key values identified by customers. To fulfill this mission, CEAT commissioned a series of on-track tests at the state-of-the-art India National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) of the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP) in Indore. CEAT Kelani Holdings conducted similar tests for the company’s motorcycle tires at this location earlier this year.
The final benchmarking process took place to score the selected CEAT radial tires in four value factors – low noise, ride comfort, handling stability, and wet and dry braking stability. The tests pitted the chosen CEAT radials against their counterparts from the United States, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
Final test results revealed that CEAT 185/70R14 Fuelsmarrt, 195/65R15 Secura Drive, 185/65R15 Secura Drive, 205/55 R16 Secura Drive, 175/65 R15 Secura Drive and 265/70 R16 Czar HP tires were superior in some cases. key aspects, and on par in terms of other features with products from competing brands, the company revealed.
Specifically, track testing has confirmed that, compared to competitive brands, CEAT Secura Drive, Fuelsmarrt and Czar HP tire models perform better in wet and dry braking and provide superior braking stability. Additionally, all six CEAT tire sizes were rated superior or comparable for ride comfort, while the Secura Drive and Fuelsmarrt tires were declared on par with their counterparts in generating minimal noise. It was also observed that the performance of the 175/65 R15 Secura Drive could be slightly improved in the driving stability settings. The company said these findings have now been incorporated into model architecture for new and improved products that will lead to improved performance.
Commenting on the latest NATRAX track tests, CEAT Kelani Managing Director, Ravi Dadlani, said: “As a brand that supplies nearly half of the country’s tire needs, CEAT is committed to listening to the voice of consumers. and to provide products adapted to their local needs and conditions. These tests that we carry out allow us to constantly refine our offers, to meet the expectations of our consumers and to produce products that are on par with, or even better, competitor tires. The heavy investments we make in such testing, even in difficult times like the present, demonstrate our commitment to quality above all else. »
The four key value propositions around which the track tests revolved were driven by consumer insights from research findings that highlighted the key drivers of customer buying decisions in the radial tire segment. The tire variants and sizes tested are suitable for vehicles such as Honda Civic, Civic EK3 and Jazz, Hyundai i20 and Venue, Mahindra Thar, Mitsubishi Montero and Sportero, Nissan Leaf and Patrol, Renault KWID, Suzuki Spacia and Toyota Allion, Aqua, Axio, Corolla, Hilux Vigo, Land Cruiser, Premio, Prius and Vitz which are popular cars and SUVs on Sri Lankan roads.
CEAT Kelani Holdings is considered one of the most successful Indian-Sri Lankan joint ventures. The joint venture’s cumulative investment in Sri Lanka to date exceeds Rs 8 billion. The company’s manufacturing operations in Sri Lanka encompass tires in the radial (passenger car, van and SUV), commercial (nylon and radial), motorcycle, three-wheeler and agricultural vehicle segments.
The CEAT brand holds market shares in Sri Lanka of 48% in the Radial segment, 80% in the Truck category, 84% in the Light Truck tire category, 51% in the Three-Wheel tire segment, 36% in in the motorcycle tire segment and 72% in the agricultural vehicle tire category. CEAT Kelani exports approximately 20% of its production to 16 countries in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Far East.
