Honda and Bridgestone, two iconic Japanese automotive brands, have teamed up to collaborate on future product development for the Australian market.

The technical departments from the local arms of both companies identified areas where they could work together on individual projects that will ultimately benefit Australian customers.

Bridgestone's focus was on the development of future low rolling resistance Ecopia tyres – specially designed to save motorists fuel – using two Honda CR-Vs for extensive testing in local conditions.

Honda Australia also used the opportunity to research the effects of around-the-clock driving across a variety of road, weather and traffic conditions, garnering insights into extreme usage patterns, rapid mileage accumulation and durability of its latest 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo engine with Earth Dreams Technology. 

"Australia has played an important role in the global development programs of numerous Honda models, with the Civic, Civic Type R and NSX all being tested under our unique local conditions in recent years," said Honda Australia Director, Mr. Stephen Collins.

"The program with Bridgestone not only ensured that current and future Ecopia tyres meet specification requirements for the CR-V, but it also enabled us to test the vehicles extensively by travelling more than 40,000 kilometres in just four weeks.

"This collaboration with Bridgestone represents a further expansion of local development work, as well as an extension of the long-running partnership between the two companies, which has seen Honda Tyre Centres operating at participating Honda dealerships since 2012." 

Honda Tyre Centres supply Bridgestone branded tyres suitable for Honda vehicles, offering a range of premium tyres such as Ecopia (low rolling resistance), Potenza (performance), Turanza (touring) and Dueler (4x4) to suit a variety of customer needs and budgets.

According to Bridgestone Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Mr. Stephen Roche, the collaboration is one of many ways Bridgestone is ensuring it has the right products to meet the needs of Australian motorists.

"There's a lot riding on tyres and it's crucial that we have products suitable for the harsh roads and climates in Australia and New Zealand," Mr. Roche said.

"Bridgestone conducts extensive testing in Australia, which directly impacts the development of products like our next-generation low rolling resistance Ecopia product. The learnings from local testing is of huge benefit for Bridgestone globally, as well as our own customers.

"Working with Honda Australia and using its latest CR-V, one of the top-selling models in the increasingly popular SUV segment, means we are in a great position to ensure we have superior products for the customers of tomorrow."

Bridgestone and Honda also collaborate on a global level, developing original equipment (OE) tyres for the Honda Jazz, Honda Civic and Honda HR-V models. In addition, Bridgestone is the tyre supplier to three SuperGT Series teams competing in the NSX-GT race car – Keihin Real Racing, Team Kunimitsu and Autobacs Racing Team Aguri.

Honda is the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines, a leader in automotive research and development, and consistently rated a top performer in customer satisfaction.

The Bridgestone brand has a global reputation as the tyre industry market leader. Bridgestone Australia is a major supplier to the Australasian automotive industry, providing an extensive range of quality tyres, developed to suit local conditions.

Honda and Bridgestone share common values such as quality products, innovation, customer service excellence and continuous improvement.