How upcoming tyre brand aims to crack the UK market

Vredestein's new Ultrac Pro will lead the brand's European charge

Dutch tyre maker Vredestein was founded 115 years ago. Now it's targeting the UK's lucrative summer tyre market

The UK tyre market is set for an assault by new, lesser-known manufacturers that aim to take on legacy brands with rubber that offers comparative performance at a fraction of the cost.

Among those trying to crack the European market are Bandag, Boto, Kenya, Next Tread, Pinso Rovelo, Saetta and Triangle. And one that already calls it home is eyeing a bigger slice of the market: Vredestein. 

The European passenger car arm of Indian tyre giant Apollo, this Dutch firm is relatively unknown outside of the Netherlands and Germany, despite its 115-year history. 

Acquired by Apollo in 2009, the brand is a self-titled pioneer of the all-season tyre.

Now its bosses are on the offensive, targeting the European summer tyre market (the biggest segment for sales in the region), with the UK at the top of that list.

“We see it as an important market to grow the brand,” sales boss Yves Pouliquen told Autocar.

The UK's importance is down to our dependence on summer tyres, which make up some 80% of the market. This is a much larger proportion than when compared to Europe as a whole (52% share). 

“It's virtually impossible to play in this market without a very, very strong summer tyre,” said product manager Ankit Pandey.

This strong summer tyre comes in the form of the Ultrac Pro, an “ultra-ultra-high-performance tyre" that will lead the brand’s push into the UK.

Vredestein boss Benoit Rivallant said the brand will use this tyre as a showcase of what it can do, with the ultimate aim of attracting buyers through the good standing of its name, like legacy marques such as Goodyear and Pirelli.

The tyre therefore needs to be very good. Vredestein claims the Ultrac Pro offers similar grip levels to established players, such as Pirelli’s P Zero Corsa, but at a more competitive price and with better on-road usability and comfort.

That last point is key, according to Rivallant, because it's something that the segment has been calling out for. “This is a genuine breakthrough,” he said. 

The plan is to use this tyre to attract owners of Michelin and Continental tyres who want “a more comfortable drive to the track but the same performance on it".

The tyre has been styled by legendary design house Italdesign and can be fitted to wheels measuring up to 24in in diameter. 

“There are always moments in history where certain instances define or redefine the norms of different industries,” said Pandey. “The iPhone did it for the mobile phone; with Ultrac Pro, we do the same for this summer tyre market.”

This isn’t the first time that Vredestein has targeted the UK, however.

“We have found the UK a difficult market to break into previously,” said Pouliquen. “Dealers act in a different way to what we're used to - in a transactional way, rather than partnerships. We now believe we can change this with the new, more complete line-up we are offering.”

While other markets, especially in Europe, value brand appeal and performance, the UK is a “cash-focussed market”, said Rivallant. 

“Other countries value performance over price; the UK is more difficult,” he told Autocar, adding that the UK “was a hard market to win over”.

Vredestein seems to be making good progeess with that, though. Last year, it recorded its best year for sales in the UK, with double-digit growth, and it has struck big deals with brands such as Audi, BMW and Volkswagen to fit its tyres from the showroom.