While the tread is the part of the tire that makes that highly desired, solid contact with the pavement, its role in a tire sale goes way beyond aesthetics.
Customers who are in the market for a new set of tires typically gravitate toward tread appearance, and the aesthetics of the tread design are a big factor in their purchasing decision. But a tire’s functionality and long-lasting tread life are attributes dealers should emphasize for the safety of their customers.
It goes without saying that a tire with long-lasting tread characteristics, matched to a specific application, can mean the difference between a satisfied and a dissatisfied customer.
After all, tread that is designed for the vehicle application also improves traction and handling and enhances creature comforts like ride quality and reduced noise levels, not to mention increased fuel economy.
The Market Calls for Long-Lasting Tread Life
CUVs are the fastest-selling vehicle segment, and customers are investing in them for their size, versatility, reliability and higher fuel efficiency compared to their SUV and minivan counterparts. While this consumer wants a reliable ride, they want it to look good, too.
In the market today, low-profile tires and larger-diameter wheels have started to become the norm on many new vehicles, especially CUVs. This trend stems from the OEM level where carmakers are fitting a growing range of CUVs with larger rim sizes and tires with higher speed ratings—which has spurred a rapid growth of tire sales for CUV sizes.
Customers need a tire built specifically for CUVS since they have a unique set of performance attributes. Today’s CUVs are engineered to meet the demands of vehicle use, customers’ driving styles, product expectations and performance priorities, and tires play a critical role.
Some tire manufacturers, like Yokohama Tire, are tapping into this market with fitments specifically for CUV applications—featuring a wider range of sizes—to deliver on customer expectations, which include long, reliable tread life.
Achieving Long Tread Life
So, how exactly do tire manufacturers achieve long-lasting tread life? Specially formulated compounds and highly engineered tread designs work together to ensure long tread life that makes for an extremely reliable tire under various driving conditions and speeds. Tires engineered with extended tread life as a priority are less likely to exhibit irregular wear, uneven wear, one-sided or shoulder wear, cupping or heal-to-toe wear.
Reliable, long tread life on Yokohama’s new premium, all-season CUV tire, the GEOLANDAR CV G058, is accomplished with:
• An optimized contact area that provides an ideal balance of comfort with long even wear.
• A rounded rib profile that extends wear by making even contact with the road surface.
• A new CV-2 Compound that features a unique new Polymer Blend for improved wet and winter traction without sacrificing dry traction and achieving longer tire tread life.
When you take the time to educate customers on application-specific tire attributes, like the features and benefits that ensure long, reliable tread life, you not only gain their complete confidence in the products you sell, but also in you—the dealer who sold them. And this elevated level of trust results in on-going customer satisfaction and repeat business.
When your CUV customers come to you and ask for a reliable tire, you can confidently recommend the GEOLANDAR CV G058, precisely engineered for long-lasting tread life on CUV applications.
This article was sponsored by Yokohama Tire. For more information, visit yokohamatire.com.
