In Canada roughly 68% of drivers use winter tires. To help meet this demand for winter offerings, Michelin North America has rolled out a new BFGoodrich branded winter tire – the Winter T/A KSI.
Several Canadian traditional media and trade press got a sneak peek of the winter tire during a recent ride and drive in Ottawa, Canada. Hitting a track on a closed runway, the T/A KSI was tested on ice braking, slalom and mixed elements courses.
Replacing the Slalom KSI, the Winter T/A KSI is completely redesigned. Unlike its predecessor, the tire features a directional tread design and boasts a T-speed rating.
The tire also features a new compound with more silica for grip in sub-freezing temperatures, a high sipe density for maximized biting edges and inter-locking 3-D sipes to help increase the stability of shoulder blocks, Michelin said. A serrated shoulder profile (similar to the one in the BFG All-Terrain T/A KO2) provides additional grip in deep snow and a continuous center rib provides steering control.
Other features include large circumferential and wide lateral grooves for water and slush evacuation and casing protectors to prevent stone and salt drilling.
Additionally, the Winter T/A KSI has a shared visual identity with other recently released BFGoodrich tires – the Advantage T/A Sport and g-Force Comp 2 A/S – the tiremaker said.
The T/A KSI will be available in September 2017 in 32 sizes; additional sizes will be launched in August 2018. Sizes range from 14- to 18-inch wheel diameter.
The Winter T/A KSI will be manufactured in China.
Michelin hasn’t yet made plans to launch the Winter T/A KSI in the United States.
