Goodyear dealers got a look at three new consumer tires and three new medium truck radials at the 2014 Goodyear Dealer Conference, held this week at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.
The biggest news is the Goodyear Assurance All-Season, which will launch later this year with 41 sizes. Goodyear said the tire is for those “consumers looking for confident all-season traction, long treadwear and great value,” and was designed in concert with a group of Goodyear dealers.
The 60,000-mile warranted Assurance All-Season features multiple biting edges for all-season traction in wet, dry and snowy conditions; wide tread grooves to evacuate water and slush; a noise optimized tread pattern; and specially designed shoulder blocks for dry and wet handling.
Also new is the Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT, a premium level tire that has already gained OE positions.
The Wrangler Fortitude HT will be available in five initial sizes: 265/70R16, 255/65R17, 265/70R17, 265/60R18 and 275/65R18, and includes a 65,000-mile tread life limited warranty.
The tire features wide circumferential grooves and full-depth sipes for wet, dry and snow traction; a noise optimized tread pattern; a rugged looking tread and sidewalls; and a “lower rolling resistance tread compound” for better fuel efficiency.
Goodyear is also adding the Dunlop Direzza DZ102, which offers “a quieter, more comfortable ride, improved braking and enhanced water evacuation performance, all with the one-of-a-kind style that drivers will appreciate.”
The Direzza DZ102 will be available in 47 sizes, ranging from 15 to 22-inch wheel diameters.
Goodyear said it will also add 13 new sizes to its Wrangler DuraTrac line, primary P-metric sizes for such vehicle as Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-Series and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
New on the commercial side are the Goodyear G505D Fuel Max line haul radial and the Goodyear G731 MSA and G751 MSA mixed-service tires.
The G505D Fuel Max, which has been submitted for SmartWay verification, will be available to Goodyear commercial truck tire dealers this June, features Goodyear’s Fuel Max Technology, which combines fuel-saving compounds, tire constructions and specialized tread designs to help reduce rolling resistance.
In addition, the tire features a 24/32-inch tread depth; circumferential and lateral tread grooves for all-season traction; an extra-wide tread for handling and wear; Goodyear’s Tredlock Technology with interlocking micro-grooves that help stabilize the tread for long tread life and tread durability; and a retreadable casing.
The tire will be available in size 295/75R22/5, Load Range G.
Construction, dump, cement mixers and other mixed-service fleets are the key targets for Goodyear’s new G731 MSA and G751 MSA mixed-service tires, available this summer.
Both feature DuraSeal Technology that instantly seals nail-hole punctures of up to ¼-inch in diameter in the repairable area of a tire’s tread.
The G731 MSA is designed for 20% on-road and 80% off-road service applications, and will be offered in sizes 11R22.5 (with DuraSeal); 12R22.5; 11R22.5; 11R24.5; 275/70R22.5; and 255/70R22.5.
The G751 MSA is designed for 80% on-road and 20% off-road service applications, features and provides up to 50% more miles to removal than its predecessor, the Goodyear G287 MSA, Goodyear said.
It will be available in sizes 11R22.5 (with DuraSeal); 315/80R22.5 (with DuraSeal); 12R22.5; 12R24.5; 11R22.5; 11R24.5; and 315/80R22.5.
For more on the Goodyear Dealer Conference, see Tire Review magazine. Catch on-the-scene photos at facebook.com/tirereview.