Yokohama Geolandar AT G015 Review — Japan-Engineered AT for NZ Conditions

Overall Rating: 9.1 / 10

Category: All-Terrain

Price in NZ: From $418 per tyre

Best for: Toyota Hilux, Land Cruiser, Prado, RAV4 — NZ mixed road driving

Available sizes: 15″ – 20″ rims

Quick Verdict

The Yokohama Geolandar AT G015 is one of Japan’s most accomplished all-terrain tyres and a strong NZ market performer. Japan shares New Zealand’s geography — mountainous terrain, frequent rain, mixed sealed and unsealed roads — and Yokohama has engineered the G015 with those conditions as the design benchmark. The result is an AT tyre that is unusually good on wet tarmac, genuinely capable off-road, and available in an exceptionally wide range of sizes from 15″ truck fitments through to 20″ luxury SUV sizes.

The distinctive Outlined White Letter (OWL) sidewall design has also made it a popular aesthetic choice for Hilux and Land Cruiser owners who want to give their vehicle a distinctive look.

Key Specifications

Technology: Triple Polymer Compound

Yokohama’s Triple Polymer Compound is the key engineering differentiator of the G015. Unlike single-compound AT tyres, the G015 uses three different polymer formulations distributed across the tread:

1. Centre tread compound: Optimised for fuel efficiency and tread wear on tarmac
2. Shoulder compound: Silica-enhanced for wet grip during on-road cornering
3. Sub-tread compound: Stiff base layer that maintains block rigidity for precise steering response

This zonal compound design gives the G015 characteristics that a uniform single-compound AT cannot match — better wet grip than expected from an AT, with off-road bite from the aggressive tread architecture.

Performance Profile

Wet Tarmac

The G015’s best attribute on sealed roads is wet performance — better than most AT competitors:

• Silica-enhanced shoulder compound delivers genuine wet cornering grip
• Wide lateral grooves channel water efficiently under heavy rain loads
• Wet braking: ranked among the top AT tyres in European test programmes for a product in this category

Off-Road

• Gravel: Excellent — stone ejectors and open blocks handle NZ metal roads well
• Mud: Very good — open tread clears mud efficiently; better than average for AT category
• Rock: Good — reinforced construction handles rocky terrain; not as aggressive as rugged terrain
• 3PMSF certification (selected sizes): Certified for light snow on applicable sizes

Road Noise and Comfort

Variable pitch tread design reduces the drone common in AT tyres. The G015 is competitive with the Dunlop Grandtrek AT30 for on-road refinement — better than Goodyear DuraTrac RT or aggressive AT alternatives.

NZ Road Conditions Assessment

Rural NZ — Perfect Application

The G015 was engineered for exactly the conditions New Zealand rural drivers face: highways, gravel farm roads, and occasional mud tracks. The triple polymer compound’s road-biased centre tread reduces highway noise and fuel consumption, while the aggressive shoulder blocks handle farm gate access and light off-road use. Available from 15″ (matching older Hilux and Patrol fitments) through to 20″ (Land Cruiser 200 and Prado luxury sizing), the G015 covers an extraordinary range of NZ vehicles.

South Island Alpine

The 3PMSF certification on selected sizes is a meaningful advantage for South Island buyers. Canterbury high-country station owners and Queenstown-area Hilux owners benefit from the snow traction certification that most AT tyres lack.

OWL Aesthetic — Distinctive NZ Look

The Outlined White Letter sidewall is a deliberate aesthetic choice that many NZ ute and 4×4 owners find appealing. The G015 OWL version (available in most common sizes) has made it particularly popular among Hilux and Land Cruiser owners who use their vehicles as a lifestyle statement as much as a work tool.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Triple Polymer Compound — genuinely superior wet tarmac performance for an AT tyre
• 3PMSF certified on selected sizes — snow traction for South Island alpine buyers
• OWL sidewall option — distinctive look popular with NZ 4×4 owners
• Extremely wide size range (15″–20″) covering virtually every NZ 4×4 and SUV
• Available in E-range for maximum payload capacity
• Competitive price ($418) against Bridgestone ($408) and Hankook ($417) rivals

Cons

• Slightly more expensive than some competitors in equivalent sizes
• Moderate road noise — better than aggressive AT tyres but not as refined as Grandtrek AT30
• Not the most capable in deep mud — choose a rugged terrain tyre for serious mud work

Geolandar AT G015 vs Key NZ Competitors

Sources

1. Yokohama Geolandar AT G015 — yokohama.com — accessed 2026-06-01
2. Tyroola NZ pricing — tyroola.co.nz/tyre/yokohama/ — accessed 2026-06-01
3. AT G015 Triple Polymer Compound — yokohama.eu — accessed 2026-06-01

Related Pages

• Yokohama Tyres NZ — full brand overview
• Best All-Terrain Tyres NZ — full AT comparison
• Hankook Dynapro AT2 — key competitor