Magazine for the professional tire industry
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feature Tire sizes to watch Are these big-volume OE ftments on your radar screen? By Bob Abram I n my frst article in the February 2013 issue, I talked about how to get your arms around the ever present issue of SKU proliferation. Tat is an important task and a sizeable one, and it will take time to ingrain that process into your system of product planning. Hopefully you are working toward that end, but in the meantime I thought it would shortcut things a bit, if I gave you a cheat sheet of sizes to watch. Since I don't know what brands you distribute, what part of the country you do business in or what you currently have on your product screen, you'll still have to do your part to pick the SKUs, but I can at least narrow down some sizes for you and give you a place to start. New all over again Tese three sizes were all new eight to 12 years ago but had extremely limited application. Two of them had become almost extinct before another round of original equipment ftments brought them back to life. Te recycling of sizes by automakers is a relatively recent trend. It has happened across multiple vehicle segments for diferent reasons, but much can be related to the need for beter fuel economy and the cosmetic appeal of larger wheels. Te three sizes below are great examples of tires that were new and are now new all over again. 205/65R16 — Tis tire size was the standard fitment for the Nissan Altima from 2002-2004. It quickly became kind of a big deal, because if you were not a Continental dealer, you had nothing to ofer in this size. But afer three years, it was gone. No other vehicles used the size until the 2009 Mazda6. Even so, the sales volume of the Mazda did not incite a real call to action. Fast forward to 2011 when the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima began using the size on base models. Te sales of the revamped pair really took of and they are currently key vehicles in the midsize sedan segment. Most recently, the 2012 Toyota Camry and 2013 Honda Accord adopted the size. You might want to duck and cover because this size is going to explode. With approximately one million vehicles sold annually between the four models, you can be sure that your demand will ramp up quickly. And while it's likely that many of these new models will be fted with the larger 215/55R17 or 225/50R17 option in higher trim levels, there will still be plenty of the base models looking for hoops soon. Check your product screen for coverage in T- and/or H-rated touring tires and check your forecast frequently. 195/50R16 — Similar to the frst tire size mentioned, 195/50R16 started out with extremely limited fitments, highlighted by the "performance" oriented Dodge Neon R/T from 2001-2004 and Mazda Protegé's top trim in 2002-2003. Tese short-lived ftments had relatively low demand and then the size went into hibernation for seven years. It's time to wake up this size again, as it has become the go-to sport trim option for some of the top cars in the compact segment: the Ford Fiesta years 2011-2014, Hyundai Accent in 2012-2013 and Toyota Yaris/Prius C in 2012-2013. You'll want to start looking into the OE replacement tires for your inventory. 235/55R19 — Tis tire size began as a lone and surprising ftment option on the Chrysler Pacifca back in 2005. Te size gained some country club credibility with the 2008 Land Rover LR2 and 2009 Audi Q5, but still remained a low volume specialized ftment. Te situation has changed rather dramatically. Starting in 2011 the size was fted to 12 vehicle models across the large car and crossover segments, including: Audi Q5, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Chevy Equinox, Ford Flex, GMC Terrain, Lincoln MKT, Land Rover LR2, Lexus RX, Mazda CX-7 and Volvo XC-60. Most recently the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorrento are sporting the size in various trims. Te long list of popular crossover vehicles makes this a Te recycling of tire sizes by automakers relates to the need for better fuel economy and the appeal of larger wheels. 46 no-brainer for the near future. Given the range of vehicle pedigrees it will probably beneft you to have a "beter" and "best" option on your product screen sooner than later. Shape shifers Te size recycling takes place in a diferent form for the following two sizes. Both were once the front only size for some well-heeled dream machines in sticky summer UHP form. Now they are far more common on much more accessible transportation. Plus they have traded their chic summer clothes for more sensible all-season wraps. Quik-Link: 800-687-1557 ext. 19118