Bridgestone has just announced the entrance of American tyre brand Firestone into India. The brand, in fact, has launched two of the Firestone’s value-focused models in the country. Firstly there’s the FR500 targeted mainly at the hatchback and sedan segments and secondly, there’s Destination LE02 which caters to the SUV segment.
In India, Firestone will focus on the passenger car and SUV segments in the initial phase. The brand’s offerings in the country will be keeping in with the needs of the Indian consumers and will be manufactured in Chakan, Pune and Kheda, Indore.
Starting off with the FR500, the tyre will be available in a total of 24 sizes that will range from 12-inches to 16-inches, making it suitable for a wide selection of compact and medium sized cars. The LE02, on the other hand, is aimed at the SUV segment and will be introduced in three sizes with 15 and 16-inch formats. The tyres are already available at Bridgestone’s existing dealer network.
Bridgestone has made it official that the brand is only targeting replacement markets with the Firestone offerings. The company is aiming to get hold of 20 per cent of the replacement market share in the next five years or so.
