Falken’s original equipment business wins have been hitting the news of late, with contracts confirmed to supply Audi, Toyota and Porsche, with the latter illustrating its cut through at the high-performance end of its product range.
Falken will supply derivatives of its ZIEX ZE914 – a powerful all-rounder in performance, efficiency and reliability – for both the Audi Q3 and Toyota Corolla. In the high-performance sector, Falken is now supplying the Porsche Macan with SUV versions of its best-selling AZENIS FK510 in both 235/60R18 and 255/55R18.
“Last year marked a real step change for Falken and the brand has become a genuine player in the high performance tyre market, as illustrated by our work with premium manufacturers such as Porsche,” says Markus Bögner, COO and president at Falken Tyre Europe. “Our tyre has been selected as it gives the precise steering and refinement that is required from a sporty SUV and meets the high demands of a Porsche driver.”
The deal with Porsche follows an agreement for Falken to supply Mercedes-Benz with Wildpeak A/T3WA and AS210A for the G-Class luxury SUV. “It’s a very special seal of approval to get such agreements from Porsche and Mercedes. It tells us that we are on the right track with the product performance and quality, reinforcing the success of our tyres and illustrating what we are capable of offering OEMs from a service perspective. These are brands with high demands and even higher expectations: these contracts show we are delivering,” adds Bögner.
The performance of the Falken AZENIS FK510 has been well documented in tyre tests: it was awarded ‘Recommended’ status and placed fourth in the 2019 Tyre Reviews UHP Summer Tyre Test , and – for the third consecutive year – received an ‘Exemplary’ rating in the 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test. Falken attributes this success in part to its 4D Nano Design process that analyses the tyre at a sub-nano level to develop compounds with improved grip, performance and wear resistance.
“Thanks to our latest technology we can offer our customers high performance that was considered only available from the renowned manufacturers. We are delivering competitive performance at prices that are highly appealing to OE customers as well as the aftermarket.
“These partnerships confirm that our strategy is working,” concludes Bögner. “We aim to continue to grow our OE relations with such premium manufacturers as we continue to expand our presence and market share in Europe.
