Toyo Tire USA Corp. is using the pending launch of two important new tires to help redefine its dealer education efforts and expand its consumer event presence.
Coming to the market in September will be a pair of all-new tires that the tiremaker feels will help dealers by filling two distinct, strong market segments. The Open Country R/T fills the gap between mud-terrain treads and on-road all-terrain light truck tires, while the Versado Noir targets luxury sedans and coupes.
The Toyo Road Tour is delivering the details to dealers across the country, making 20 dealer training stops in 19 cities. The 8,106-mile training journey, led by professional test driver and training facilitator Ali Aljibouri, will run through Sept. 10.
Instead of simply using its existing event rigs, Toyo designed and bought an all-new truck, slightly downsized from a Class 8 tractor/trailer, which allows it to park in tighter areas. This week the truck was visiting Kaufman Tire in Atlanta, and the vehicle was comfortably parked between the garage doors and an adjacent strip mall structure.
Toyo officials said they may continue with the new rig in the future and are currently evaluating the options. One of Toyo’s trucks will be on-site at the upcoming SEMA Show/Global Tire Expo. In the meantime, Toyo is working on a redesign of its online training program – toyotraining.com – and its sales staff continues to run training for dealers.
Set for a September launch, the Open Country R/T delivers a combination of reliable off-road performance and on-highway driver comfort. The aggressive-looking tread actually delivers longer on-road treadlife and less noise than expected, and a unique tread should design option – an open should design on one side, and a closed shoulder look on the other – gives drivers the opportunity to customize their tire buy.
“Our market research revealed many truck, Jeep and SUV owners are looking for a combination of performance and features not available in current mud-terrain or all-terrain tires,” said Roy Bromfield, Toyo COO. “What these owners really want is the Toyo Open Country R/T – a premium tire that handles exceptionally well off-road and looks aggressive, but is also quiet and long-lasting enough for everyday driving.”
The Q-rated, Load Range E tire is produced at Toyo’s plant in Georgia, and comes with a 45,000-mile treadwear warranty. Initially the tire will be available in eight sizes, covering 17-, 18- and 20-inch LT-metric and flotation sizes, with diameters ranging from 33 to 37 inches.
On the opposite end of the tire spectrum, the Versado Noir was “designed to stand out in the sea of ‘round and black’ tires” on the market today, according to Toyo.
Replacing the current Versado LX and Versado LX II, the Versado Noir delivers 30% longer tread life than some competitive tires, according to the tiremaker. A new silica tread compound and asymmetrical tread aids traction, treadlife and fuel efficiency, Toyo claimed, important attributes for its target audience of Lexus, Acura, Cadillac, BMW, Audi and other luxury marque owners.
The all-season Versado Noir comes in September with 47 initial sizes covering 15- to 18-inch wheel diameters. With a 620AA UTQG rating, H-rated sizes will carry a 75,00-mile treadwear warranty, while the V- and W-rated sizes will have a 65,000-mile and 50,000-mile warranty, respectively.
