Sumitomo at a glance
Sumitomo Rubber Industries traces its roots back to 1909, when Britain's Dunlop set up a tyre and rubber factory in the Japanese port city of Kobe. The company later passed into the hands of the Sumitomo group and took on a new name. In May 2025 the story took an unexpected turn: Sumitomo bought the rights to the Dunlop trademark in Europe, North America and Oceania from Goodyear. So the name of the one-time parent company now belongs to the business in Kobe.
Sumitomo Rubber is one of the world's largest tyre manufacturers, with twelve factories. Most of the Sumitomo tyres sold in Europe are made at its Çankırı factory in Turkey. The group's best-known brands in Europe are Dunlop and Falken, while the Sumitomo name itself is a mid-range choice here. It suits drivers who want a tyre from a major Japanese manufacturer but do not need a premium brand.
Among summer tyres, the Sumitomo BC100 and the sportier HTR Z5 are common in Europe. The SL727 is designed for vans. The best-known winter tyre is the Sumitomo WT200, designed for snowy and wet roads. Sumitomo's European range is smaller than those of its sister brands, so when buying Nordic winter tyres, Estonian drivers often look at the Dunlop and Falken ranges as well.