Stamford Tyres (M) Sdn Bhd, which distributes Falken tyres in Malaysia, launched its flagship tyre Falken Azenis FK510 recently. The Japan-made new ultra-high performance tyre caters to luxury vehicles, sports and sporty cars as well as SUVs.
“The FK510 is designed by Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) for drivers of performance and premium vehicles looking for excellent grip and outstanding performance. We have been selling the new FK510 before the official launch for the last 3 months and the response from the market was very encouraging,” said Cham Soon Kian, CEO of Stamford Tyres Malaysia.
A successor to the Falken Azenis FK453, the FK510 is said to have made some massive improvements in performance. The FK510 convinced the media teams from two major German magazines – Auto Bild and Autozeitung. It won a top 3 place in the large-scale summer test performed by Auto Bild, earning a rating of ‘Exemplary’, while Autozeitung bestowed the tyre a ‘Highly Recommended’ label. Furthermore, the German association of technical inspectors GTÜ (Gesellschaft für Technische Überwachung), a German car inspection body, ranked the Falken FK510 first in its test of 11 different tyre models.
“The FK510 has inherited the superior wet performance of the FK453 with improved quietness and comfort,” added Cham.
Equipped with Adaptive Constant Pressure (ACP) technology, the FK510 provides consistent pressure distribution across the contact patch. As a result, directional stability, driving dynamics and braking performance are improved.
Other features include wide shoulder blocks for high speed cornering and lateral grip, four circumferential grooves for efficient water dispersal and enhanced hydroplaning resistance, variable sipe depth across the tread surface for controlled flexibility while maintaining overall block rigidity.
SRI also applied its 4D nano design technology to the Azenis FK510 to enhance wet traction and improved wear life. In addition, there is the Neo-T01, the ‘next generation’ manufacturing system from the company that is used to produce ultra-high performance tyres.
“When a tyre is rotating at high speed, its degree of circularity has a major impact on its overall performance. Tyres produced using NEO-T01 achieve an extremely high degree of circularity, which greatly improves their stability at high speeds,” explained Satoru Ushida, Managing Director of Sumitomo Rubber Asia.
Available in 88 sizes, covering 17 to 22-inch wheels, Cham revealed that the recommended retail selling prices started from RM400. A variant of the FK510 suitable for Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and crossovers would be added to the range soon while a run-flat version would go on sale next year.