Firestone introduced a new farm tyre, the Performer Extra, which comes with a 20% extra life compared to its predecessors, in the European market.
Based on the popular Firestone Performer 85 and 70 tyres, the Performer Extra’s extended life of the tyre helps to reduce its environmental footprint, as well as cutting down on long-term operational costs and improving business efficiency.
Its dual-angel lug brings great traction, while the extra load option allows a higher loading capacity than many competitor products. Like its predecessors, the Firestone Performer Extra has been designed with reliability as a priority. The tyre has a self-cleaning tread for excellent traction and improved fuel efficiency, while the flexible casing of the tyre reduces soil compaction and improves road handling and comfort.
The Firestone Performer Extra will progressively be released to the European market in 43 different sizes, ranging from 20 to 42 inches, from July 2020. The tyre was developed in Bridgestone’s European R&D centre in Italy and is produced in the Bridgestone plant in Puente San Miguel, Spain. As the Performer and Performer Extra tyre ranges maintain the same dimensions they are inter-compatible both on the same vehicle and on the same axle. Like the Firestone Performer 85 and 70, the Performer Extra can be fit to most tractors used for agriculture.
“Helping farmers has been at the heart of Firestone since this business was founded – Harvey Firestone himself was born on a farm,” says Mark Sanders, Head of Sales Agriculture, Bridgestone EMIA. “This is why, to this day, we have maintained our commitment to solving common farmer needs through strong and reliable products. The Firestone Performer Extra, the latest addition to our popular Performer range, offers all the benefits of its predecessors but now with a significantly longer tyre life. 20 percent is a huge difference and will be a real cost-saver for the farmers that will choose to make their operations more efficient and sustainable with the Firestone Performer Extra.” (MT)
Avis India Introduces Luxury Van Rental Service
- By MT Bureau
- January 28, 2026
Avis India has announced the launch of Avis Luxury Van Rentals, expanding its mobility portfolio to address demand for group travel. The service is aimed at corporate and leisure segments, providing transport for business leaders, families, and teams.
The fleet consists of vehicles including the Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Toyota Vellfire, Kia Carnival, Toyota Coaster and Toyota Commuter. These models allow customers to select vehicles based on group size, with the capacity to accommodate up to 25 passengers. The service is available for intracity and intercity travel and is operated by English-speaking chauffeurs.
Bookings, confirmations and modifications are managed through an in-house technology platform. This system is supported by a 24x7 contact centre intended to provide assistance to users. The launch extends the company's existing suite of mobility solutions, focusing on service standards and management for group movements.
Aman Naagar, Managing Director, Avis India, said, “Avis Luxury Van Rentals reflects our focus on delivering elevated mobility experiences for customers who value comfort, reliability and professional service. The launch is designed to meet the requirements of evolving group travel in the country, and further strengthens our portfolio. The service is designed to accommodate up to 25 passengers and reinforces our commitment to delivering seamless premium mobility solutions, nationally.”
Carraro India Opens First Authorised Service Centre In Faridabad
- By MT Bureau
- January 23, 2026
Carraro India, a subsidiary of the Italian group Carraro, has inaugurated its first authorised service centre in Faridabad, Haryana. This facility is the first of four centres the company plans to establish across India by 2026 to support its expansion in the off-highway vehicle market.
The centre is operated in partnership with Balaji Enterprises and will provide maintenance for driveline systems, including axles and transmissions used in agricultural and construction machinery.
The facility is equipped with diagnostic tools and a stock of genuine spare parts to ensure the repair of equipment. It aims to serve customers in Northern India, reducing downtime for fleet operators and farmers. Carraro India currently operates manufacturing plants in Pune and produces driveline solutions for several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
The inauguration in Faridabad marks the start of a network growth strategy. Carraro intends to open three additional centres in locations with high concentrations of off-highway equipment. This initiative is designed to move after-sales support closer to the end-user, providing technical assistance and training for local mechanics.
Andrea Conchetto, CEO, Carraro Group, stated, “The opening of our first authorised service centre in Faridabad is a milestone in our journey to enhance customer experience in India. This facility is a testament to our commitment to providing world-class service and support to our customers. We are confident that this centre will set new benchmarks in service excellence”.
S Krishnan, Managing Director, Carraro India, said, “The Faridabad centre is the first of many such facilities we plan to open across the country. Our goal is to ensure that our customers have access to genuine parts and expert service, regardless of their location. This expansion will help us strengthen our presence in the Indian market and provide better value to our customers”.
“We are proud to partner with Carraro India in this initiative. Our team is trained to provide the best-in-class service to Carraro customers. We look forward to a successful partnership and to serving the needs of the off-highway vehicle industry in this region,” added Balaji Enterprises representative.
Knorr-Bremse And WESP-Group Launch JV For Commercial Vehicle Data Services
- By MT Bureau
- January 13, 2026
Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Nutzfahrzeuge and Dutch company WAGH (WESP-Group) have established a joint venture, WESP CV, to develop digital services for the commercial vehicle industry.
The new entity headquartered in Germany will see Knorr-Bremse hold 51 percent stake, while WAGH will hold the remaining 49 percent.
WESP CV will focus on data-driven benchmarking for workshops. By comparing performance indicators, the venture aims to help companies identify operational efficiencies and use data to inform business decisions. The database created through this partnership is intended to provide transparency regarding market potential and product field data for workshops, distributors and industry partners.
The partnership seeks to address industry challenges, such as the shortage of skilled staff, by ensuring workshop employees can operate with higher efficiency through predictive maintenance solutions and integrated data ecosystems.
Alexander Wagner, Vice-President Global Aftermarket/TruckServices, Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicles, said, "The founding of WESP CV marks the next milestone toward a holistic and efficient commercial vehicle aftermarket ecosystem. The joint venture combines WESP's expertise in digital services for workshops with Knorr-Bremse's expertise in the commercial vehicle market. We want to support commercial vehicle workshops with data-based consulting services, helping them to identify operational efficiency potential, enable data-based decisions, and exploit previously untapped business opportunities or potential for improvement. This extensive database will not only support commercial vehicle workshops, but also other market participants and industry partners in gaining deeper transparency about market potential and product field data.”
Bas Wintjes, Managing Director, WAGH, said, “In the past months, we have consistently aligned our tools with the key KPIs of the truck, trailer and bus market. One thing has become clear: the fundamental principles remain the same – benchmarking against others enables workshops to achieve targeted improvements. In today’s environment, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to find skilled staff, it is more important than ever to ensure that workshop employees can work efficiently. Data-driven predictive maintenance solutions will play a central role in the future. Particularly valuable is the collaboration between manufacturers, distributors, and workshops: a strong data ecosystem gives all stakeholders the opportunity to measurably enhance their performance. The partnership with Knorr-Bremse is an important step in the further internationalization of WESP-Group. We look forward to combining Knorr-Bremse’s market expertise with our proven, practice-oriented tools.”
Maruti Suzuki Partners Indian Oil To Establish Service Centres At Fuel Stations
- By MT Bureau
- January 12, 2026
Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) to set up vehicle service facilities at fuel retail outlets across India.
The partnership aims to integrate automotive maintenance with energy supply points to increase service accessibility for car owners.
As per the understanding, facilities at IOCL stations will offer routine maintenance, minor repairs and major services. This initiative expands Maruti Suzuki India’s existing network, which currently consists of 5,780 service touchpoints in 2,882 cities. Indian Oil operates a network of over 41,000 fuel stations nationwide, providing the infrastructure for the rollout.
Ram Suresh Akella, Executive Officer (Service), Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Our goal is to make car servicing as easy and convenient as possible for our customers. By partnering with Indian Oil Corporation Limited, one of India’s most trusted Maharatna enterprises, we will leverage their unmatched reach to take our after-sales service to locations frequently visited by our customers. This collaboration marks a significant step to bring mobility and energy sector together and deliver superior customer care experience. We are committed to enhance accessibility, deliver unmatched convenience, and ensure complete peace of mind in the car ownership journey for our customers.”
Saumitra P. Srivastava, Director (Marketing), Indian Oil Corporation, said, “Indian Oil is committed to enhancing the customer experience at our fuel stations through value-added services. With a network of over 41,000 fuel stations across the length and breadth of India, we are uniquely positioned to bring essential services closer to the consumer. By partnering with Maruti Suzuki, we are integrating world-class automotive maintenance along with our energy offerings.”
The collaboration represents a convergence of the mobility and energy sectors, intended to provide maintenance at locations already frequented by motorists for refueling.
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