Goodyear Takes the High Road With New Off-Road Tire
23 August 1999
Goodyear Takes the High Road With New Off-Road Tire
AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 23 -- With a soaring sport-utility vehicle
market destined for remarkable growth through 2004, Goodyear announced today a
new ultra-durable off-road tire to complement its SUV tire lineup.
The Wrangler MT/R all-season off-road tire features a new Durawall
puncture resistant technology that uses high-tech silica compounds, three
polyester plies and tread elements that extend down the sidewall to resist
tire sidewall punctures, a common problem in off-road travel.
Ron Wells, marketing manager for Goodyear light-truck tires, said the
tiremaker has employed state-of-the-art technology in a normally low-tech
segment -- in tires designed to travel through mud and over rocks.
Although Goodyear Wrangler is the market leader by far, the company isn't
sitting idle in the highly competitive tire industry. Wrangler MT/R is the
third new light-truck tire in as many years.
Worldwide production of sport-utility vehicles will increase 25 percent
between 1998 and 2004, according to a new study by the Economist Intelligence
Unit. The 42 percent increase in the number of sport-utilities built in North
America during this span "is even more dramatic," Wells said.
"Goodyear's three new tires are well-positioned for this growth spurt," he
said. "Advanced technology wins out and results in an improved sales mix. By
the end of 2000, about 70 percent of our global tire lines will be less than
three years old and possess the latest technology and highest margins."
In North America alone, Goodyear introduced last year the highway-friendly
Wrangler RF-A, the industry's first rotation-free tire system. In 1997, the
Wrangler AT/S all-terrain tire, the first dual-traction lug channel tire for
improved treadwear, off-road traction and a quieter ride on highways, was
launched.
Wrangler MT/R's tread pattern is a "head-turner. No doubt about it, this
is an aggressive tire. Combine the alligator-like tread blocks and tread
notches that extend down the sidewall and the tire immediately grabs your
attention," Wells said.
Wells said the new tire's traction capabilities could expand its use
beyond the traditional off-road market, which has increased more than
$40 million between 1994 and 1997. Ranchers, farmers and those who want an
aggressive-looking tire on their vehicles are prime prospects for the new
Wrangler.
The Wrangler MT/R addresses a highly profitable growth segment. In 1996,
industry retail sales for off-road products were nearly $557 million,
according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association.
Goodyear market research shows that 20 percent of all SUV owners say
they've taken their vehicles off-road. That figure climbs to 50 percent if
recreational uses are included -- camping, hunting, boating and fishing --
activities that take vehicles off road, Wells said.
The tire replaces the Wrangler MT, a mud traction tire introduced in 1988.
According to Goodyear tests, Wrangler MT/R is 35 percent less likely to
undergo a sidewall puncture than the Wrangler MT.
The tire initially will be available in early 2000 in nine sizes,
including: 30x9.50R15, 31x10.50R15, 32x11.50R15, 33x12.50R15, 35x12.50R15,
LT235/75R15, LT245/75R16 E, LT285/75R16 D and LT235/85R16 E.