Brand debuts EV-compatible N’Priz S and performance-driven N’Fera Sport tires, alongside a high-energy live show celebrating industry talent and culture, accelerating the brand’s push toward household-name status.
LAS VEGAS (November 13, 2025) – Nexen Tire returned to the SEMA Show this year with intent and impact, meeting the industry where it gathers, inviting people to lean in, and turning curiosity into conversation. Throughout the week, the debut of Nexen Live drew steady crowds with short, candid segments from racers, builders, designers, and journalists. Fans and trade guests didn’t just hear about tires, they saw them working on competition vehicles that actually run Nexens and spoke with the drivers who push them. The takeaway was simple: Nexen’s passenger and performance lines are proven in testing, proven in the field, and ready for confident, everyday driving.
Early in the week, the N’Fera Sport earned runner-up in SEMA’s New Product Showcase -- the only runner-up and the only tire recognized in its category. The award added momentum to the brand’s presence on the floor and to the conversations happening on stage.
Nexen’s outdoor space stayed busy as spokespeople tied each segment back to a clear full-line story, while new additions shared the spotlight with voices from across the industry: OEM and aftermarket partners, creators, and artists who approach car culture from different angles and bring new audiences into the fold. This Fall, Nexen is highlighting two staples in its lineup -- the N’Priz S (EV-compatible Grand-Touring All-Season) and N’Fera Sport (UHP Summer) -- and The SEMA Show gave attendees an easy way to see where they fit within the broader range.
Stage guests reflected that breadth and credibility:
OEM & Product Leaders: Ponz Pandikuthira (SVP, Chief Product & Planning, Nissan America), Matt Simpson (Executive Director, Accessories & Personalization, Ford), Peyton Sellers (Director of U.S. Operations, RBW), Marcus Umlauff (General Manager, Truck, Toyota) and Ahmir Ahmed (Head of Off-Road & EVs, Jeep) all joined the stage throughout the week to talk about the strategy and direction each major manufacturer is headed, and what they look for in OE performance.
Racers and Drivers: Team Nexen’s Woody Rose Jr., Chris Van Den Elzen, and Ryan Mottinger, as well as NHRA Top Fuel’s Brandon Bernstein all shared competition-tested perspective alongside Brandon Bernstein (NHRA Top Fuel).
Builders, Designers and Artists: Kenny Pfitzer (Kenny Pfitzer Design), Erik Barnlund (Maxlider Brothers Customs), and Myles Kovacs (TIS/DUB) connected function and craftsmanship, while artists Mr. Cartoon and Mike Giant brought visual storytelling that pulled new audiences into the conversation.
Media and Creators: The Drive’s Karl Brauer, Lauren Fix and Alan Taylor, Sean Holman (The Truck Show Podcast, OVR), Talena Hadley (Girlie Garage), Tim Esterdahl (Pickup Truck + SUV Talk), and Teia Collier (A Girls Guide to Cars) translated features into everyday benefits for trucks, families, first-time buyers, and enthusiasts alike.
OEM/Aftermarket and Industry: Zach Luke (Rockford Fosgate) dove into how modern vehicle audio and clean installs change the way builds are experienced, while Andy McMillon (Lucas Oil) focused on reliability and maintenance that keep performance consistent over time. Their individual interviews added practical context from two different angles, tying power, sound, and tire choice into one real-world story.
“We brought Nexen Tire back to SEMA to make a bigger impression and a bigger impact among the people who live and breathe this industry every day,” said Theresa Kapper, Director of Marketing, Nexen Tire America. “By opening the stage to racers, builders, creators, and partners, we’re not just talking at people, we’re inviting them in. The choice to encourage transparency and open dialogue, and to platform other champions in this space leaves a lasting impression. It tells showgoers exactly who we are: confident in our products, confident in our process, and confident enough to let real voices carry the story.”
The company's SEMA presence is part of a broader plan to build familiarity and trust: consistent stories across trade and consumer media, creator collaborations where drivers live online, and visible proof from racing and off-road programs that pressure-test construction and consistency. In a span of just two months, Nexen has now hosted two market-facing events to deepen that transparency and connection: September's Ride N’ Drive program, where editors, creators, dealers and partners drove and reported what they actually felt in the product, and this week’s SEMA presence, where the industry could see and hear it for themselves.
Together, those efforts delivered a dual product spotlight within a full-line context. At Ride N’ Drive and again in Las Vegas, Nexen highlighted the N’Priz S (EV-Compatible Grand-Touring All-Season) for calm, quiet daily miles and the N’Fera Sport (Ultra-High-Performance Summer) for sharp steering, confident braking, and wet-road control – alongside additional lines displayed throughout the space – so shoppers understand where each tire fits without turning the experience into a spec sheet.
Nexen will roll out the 40+ interviews conducted on their central Nexen Live stage across its social channels through the end of the year, keeping up the dialogue and excitement from the show.