Japanese tyre manufacturer Falken has produced a tyre designed to improve the stability, feel and noise of such cars as Porsche Cayenne, Range Rover Sport, BMW X6 and Audi Q7.

Available in 14 sizes, for everything from a BMW X3 to a Mercedes ML, Falken's Azenis FK453CC is specifically designed for the performance SUV market, a sector that is now the fourth most popular in countries such as Germany. To meet stability and higher speed requirements, coupled with the increased loading experienced with sportier SUVs, the Azenis FK453CC is claimed to feature a more warp-resistant casing construction than comparable tyres in its segment. Secondly, the "NUR-Spec" design incorporates an additional, nylon-reinforced cover ply and more rigid sidewalls to improve stability at speeds up to 300km/h (186mph). This is complemented by a rounder tyre shoulder shape to optimise pressure deployment on the tread area. The result is a claimed 21 per cent improvement in steering stability over the previous S/TZ01 tyre.

With larger rim sizes and lower profiles commonplace on performance SUVs, Falken has also addressed the issue of noise. "Thanks to the rounder shoulder and phase-shifted tread bars, pass-by noise is reduced by 15 percent compared with the tyre's predecessor," says Yukio Yoshida, Falken Tyre Europe's corporate planning director.

Falken has attempted to retain the sporting characteristics of the FK453CC. Silica percentage has been increased over the tyre's predecessor to achieve stronger interaction with the road surface, to enhance steering responsiveness and handling. Dry handling in particular is improved, with grip levels up 14 per cent compared to the predecessor.

"Resistance to hydroplaning, critical for heavier and taller SUVs, is up seven percent improvement thanks to advances in tread pattern," continues Yoshida. "Three central tread grooves in the tread design allow efficient water deflection. In addition, the staggered sipes integrated into the first tread bar at the tyre shoulder break up the water film more effectively than conventional tread patterns."

The Azenis FK453CC will be available from January 2012 in 14 different sizes with V, W and Y speed ratings.