Honda taps Yokohama Advan as OE fitment for 2023 HR-V

TOKYO—Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (YRC) has secured an original equipment fitment with Honda Motor Co. Ltd. on the 2023 HR-V compact SUV, which went on sale in North America in June.

Yokohama's fitment on the HR-V—sold in other international markets as the ZR-V—is the Advan dB V552 in sizes 215/60R17 96H and 225/55R18 98H. YRC did not specify on which trim level or levels the fitment applies.

The second-generation five-passenger, four-door HR-V hatchback is longer and wider than the predecessor model and features improved front and rear interior comfort and one of the largest cargo areas in its class, according to American Honda Motors.

The HR-V is built on Honda's "enhanced global architecture," which features a new front suspension and fully independent rear suspension to support improvements in ride, handling and overall refinement. The HR-V is powered by a 2-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to a continuously variable transmission.

The Advan dB V552 is a premium comfort tire developed on the concept of "an unprecedentedly" quiet tire provides a more pleasant in-car experience to drivers, YRC said, while delivering the high maneuverability and reduced rolling resistance demanded by Honda for the HR-V.

YRC said this fitment aligns with its Yokohama Transformation 2023 medium-term management plan, which calls for consumer tire business to maximize sales of the firm's higher value-added Advan and Geolandar lines within the Yokohama brand.

At the same time, YRC said it has garnered an OE fitment with Subaru Corp. for use in the Japanese market on the 2023 Crosstrek crossover SUV. The fitment is the Geolandar G91 in size 225/60R17 99H size tires.

The G91 tires combine the utility performance of SUV tires with the fuel-efficiency, safety, and comfortable performance demanded of urban crossovers and small/midsize SUVs, YRC said.

The G91s derive their performance advantages due to the use of highly rigid carcass, YRC said, allowing them to demonstrate agile steering stability, while the adoption of a flat sidewall design contributes to reducing tire weight and controlling air resistance.