These days sequels seem to draw more people to cinema-houses than the original film. A certain charisma accompanies an unfinished story, often leaving the audience looking forward to more. While we do not intend to set foot in the silver-screen business, we did promise you a sequel of sorts in one of our earlier issues. Unlike some rather disappointing film franchises, we come bearing good news. Ahura Car Services, a Mumbai-based cab company, accepted the task of validating a tyre manufacturer’s claim that their tyres would last for up to one lakh kilometres. The CEAT Milaze X3 is the rubber under discussion and it has successfully completed the second phase of the trial. The cabs shod with these tyres have now clocked one lakh kilometres on the odometer.
The good folk at Ahura Car Services say that this is usually the time when these cars get their tyres replaced. We spoke to the fleet-owner and the drivers to know what they thought of the tyres’ performance thus far. We also sought their feedback and opinion about whether the tyres needed replacement.
Compatible Cars
The Milaze X3 range is quite vast. CEAT claim that the tyres are available for a whopping 79 vehicles in the Indian four-wheeler market. The list encompasses cars from popular manufacturers like Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki, Tata, Volkswagen, and many more. Popular vehicles like Amaze, Brio, City, i10, i20, Alto, Swift, Wagon R, Indica, and Polo can be equipped with the Milaze X3.
CEAT have made sure that their tyres will also be available for older vehicles, mostly from the early 2000s. The most recently launched and popular vehicles are already part of their portfolio, and CEAT are constantly supplementing it with the latest cars. You can always log on to the CEAT website and check to confirm if your car is part of the list.
Product Portfolio
The Milaze X3s are available for four rim sizes – 12- to 15-inch. The tyres also have different dimensions for each wheel size, bringing up the total to 15 choices. The Milaze X3 is available in both tube-type and tubeless options.
Take a look at the wide variety of choices on offer:
• 165/80R14 • 145/80R12 • 175/65R14 • 145/80R12
• 155/65R13 • 185/70R14 • 145/70R12 • 165/65R14
• 155/70R13 • 145/80R13 • 145/70R13 • 175/65R15
• 155/70R13 • 205/65R15
Unique Attributes
Before we take a look at the results, let us take a quick look at what makes the Milaze X3 distinct vis-a-vis its competitors. A common problem that plagues most tyres in the market is uneven wear and tear on their surface. CEAT have worked around this issue by substantially increasing the rubber content in the Milaze X3; a choice that works well with the specifically generated tread compound. Firm shoulder blocks and wide circumferential grooves play a crucial role in executing safe and high-speed manoeuvres.
The drivers have confirmed that the CEAT tyres do not age as early as other tyres they have used previously.
What They Said
The cars from Ahura Car Services that were shod with the tyres have been going about their daily routine since the previous report a couple of months ago. Since then, they have covered long distances, of which a considerable portion was achieved in alarming and almost extreme weather that Mumbai had to endure recently. We spoke to Filly Bhathena – Proprietor, Ahura Car Services, to find out what he had to say about the tyres after using them for almost half a year now.
‘I would like to begin by saying that CEAT have done a good job with these tyres. Although I was sceptical initially, my faith in the tyres’ capability is growing by the day. Both cars recently clocked one lakh kilometres on the odometer which meant that a tyre change was due. When I checked the tyres for wear and tear, I was pleasantly surprised. Although both the cars have done 32,000 km and 36,000 km respectively with the Milaze X3s, the tyres do not display corresponding levels of wear and tear. In fact, they seem good to go for another year or so. Moreover, my drivers and passengers are happy with the tyres’ performance. I am yet to receive a complaint about these tyres.’
While collecting feedback from drivers and passengers, we were able to reaffirm what Bhathena said. Both parties agreed that the tyres have been delivering consistent performance since the beginning, assuring levels of grip for the drivers, and a pliant ride for the customers.
About CEAT
The Mumbai-based tyre manufacturing company was established in 1958 in Turin and is currently owned by RPG Enterprises. Today the company has evolved into a big name in the tyre industry on a global scale. They offer a variety of tyre options for a number of vehicles including, but not limited to, heavy vehicles, commercial vehicles, passenger cars, and motorcycles. The company has a production capacity of 165 million tyres per annum.
