When it comes to wet weather testing, Seattle makes for a good proving ground, giving drivers ample opportunity to experience a tire’s braking, handling and overall performance in the wet.
Such was the case in early May when Goodyear invited select tire and enthusiast media and key tire dealers to experience its latest rollout, the UHP Eagle F1 Asymmetric All-Season, which the tiremaker first announced at its annual dealer conference in January.
For the new race-inspired tire – which the company said offers superb handling and all-season traction – Goodyear said it employed its “market-back” strategy to pinpoint a need in the marketplace and quickly fill that gap.
In this case, “quickly” is no exaggeration – according to Tim Lovell, technical project manager, company engineers “aggressively started work” on the F1 Asymmetric All-Season just one year before the tire’s launch.
As part of its “market-back” product planning, the tiremaker said it conducts extensive research among vehicle owners, resulting in identification of what consumers expect in a tire, “opening the door to Goodyear development that introduces breakthrough technology with specific performance benefits.”
“Goodyear marketers work with engineers and scientists in the company’s technical group to jointly create new product ideas that use the latest technology, but in relevant, meaningful ways to the consumer,” according to the tiremaker.
Tire Features
Available in July, this newest member of the Eagle family fills a gap in Goodyear’s current product screen, which had been lacking an all-season UHP offering. The tire will be available in 36 W- and Y-rated sizes and will carry a 45,000-mile tread life limited warranty. For the North American market, it will be manufactured in Goodyear’s Laughton, Okla., and Fayetteville, N.C., plants.
The new all-season tire’s asymmetric tread pattern is based on that of the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 summer tire, but the Eagle F1 Asymmetric All-Season features a “dry handling zone” on the outside shoulder for enhanced handling and grip, and an “all-season zone” on the inside shoulder for increased water evacuation, according to Lovell.
Attendees of the event, held at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash., some 20 miles south of Seattle, put the tire through its paces on a road course, handling course and touring drive against the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus and Bridgestone RE970AS Pole Position, which Goodyear deemed as the target competition. And though Goodyear had planned on some dry handling opportunities – which did not occur due to the steady downpour the day of the event – participants were given ample seat time in the wet, perhaps contributing to their positive impressions of the Eagle F1 Asymmetric All-Season.
“There’s no question that the wet traction is very good, hydroplaning resistance at high speed is quite impressive, and the street ride showed it seems to be quiet and comfortable in how it absorbs undulations in the road,” said Robert Gibb, brand director for American Tire Distributors. “It’s ideal from a consumer’s point of view – they want a quiet, comfortable and safe ride in all driving situations.”
In his presentation to event attendees, Lovell said the new tire features a specialized tread compound for enhanced performance characteristics, such as wet traction and dry handling; “TredLock Technology” with microgrooves that provide biting edges for enhanced wet traction; and “traction teeth” for further biting edges for traction in rain and snow.
“We apply breakthrough technologies to many tires in our Eagle lineup,” added Jonathan Lee, general manager of brand marketing. “Fortunately, experts – from third-party product testers to our extensive retail network to everyday consumers – recognize the product leadership and help keep Goodyear Eagles out front.”
Market Needs
Not only does the Eagle F1 Asymmetric All-Season fill a need in Goodyear’s lineup, it also fits into a growing niche within the overall market. According to Lee, performance tires made up 23% (or 56 million units) of the 2011 North American replacement market – the remainder was commuter/touring at 53% (130 million units), 19% all-terrain (47 million units), and 6% winter (14 million units). The performance segment has outpaced total industry growth in each of the last six years and has an anticipated growth of 6% for 2012, he added.
Performance customers want better handling and all-season capability – and are willing to pay more for the right product, Lee said, adding these consumers also research tires before making a purchase.
“The Eagle family of tires is for these customers,” he said, noting that with the addition of the Eagle F1 Asymmetric All-Season, Goodyear’s Eagle line now encompasses six products: two additional UHP tires – the F1 SuperCar G:2 and F1 Asymmetric 2 – and three high performance offerings – the RS-A, LS-2 and GT.
“The performance category has become very important because more and more vehicles are coming with performance tires as OE,” ATD’s Gibbs added. “And there’s tremendous competition in the performance market. So the lifecycles of products are getting shorter as new tires are coming out faster; new technology makes that possible. If the pricing of this tire is competitive, it could be very successful for Goodyear because they have nothing in that category now.”
Also attending the launch was Mike Joines, president and CEO of The Tire Rack. “Goodyear has been out of this channel for three to four years, since the exit of the F1 All-Season,” he noted. “Dealers with Goodyear as a flagship brand really need this product to fill a gap in their product screen. And offering a tire like this forces everyone to keep coming up with new, innovative tires to compete.”
To support the new tire, Goodyear will offer dealers POS materials, store displays, training and a national ride-and-drive program that will target 10 markets, plus advertising and online support to reach consumers.
One aspect of this online support – a fast-paced and humorous video featuring unsuspecting tire shoppers – was previewed at the launch event.