More than a year in the making, Michelin North America finally took the wraps off of the BFGoodrich Rugged Terrain T/A, the latest BFG-brand light truck/SUV radial.
The tire was originally slated for a 2010 introduction, but production was rescheduled when demand increases and product shortages forced MNA to increase production of existing light truck products over new offerings.
“Our goal is to create quality products that appeal to every kind of driver,” said Marcus Baffoe-Bonnie, marketing manager for the BFGoodrich brand. “The BFGoodrich Rugged Terrain T/A tire fits distinctly between the Long Trail T/A Tour tire, which is designed for pure on-road driving, and the All Terrain T/A KO tire, which can go as far off-road as you want. The Rugged Terrain T/A tire is for drivers who want a versatile tire to go to work during the week, as well as on a weekend adventure.”
Available for purchase as of May 1, the BFGoodrich Rugged Terrain T/A tire is described as a “lifestyle tire” by the company, and was developed for light truck and sport utility vehicle owners “looking to upgrade to a tire with aggressive off-road looks combined with low rolling resistance, reduced noise and year-round traction.”
The tire is available in 36 sizes ranging from 15 to 20 inches in wheel diameter, including LRE-rated sizes for greater load-carrying capacity. Twelve of the sizes are LT-metric, and all P-metric sizes are T speed-rated.
The new tire was rolled out during a special tire trade and enthusiast media launch at The Boulders Resort in Carefree, Ariz., in the Sonora Desert.
MNA said the addition of the Rugged Terrain T/A tire fills this void in the BFGoodrich portfolio and “increases the BFGoodrich brand’s light truck market coverage to 97% in the P-metric and 95% in the LT-metric categories.”
Michelin said that the tire’s “combination of tread design and compound development resulted in a 30% improvement over the Rugged Trail T/A in wet weather performance” compared to its product cousins.
The tread features a special noise reduction element, two large circumferential grooves for water evacuation, an aggressive tread design that wraps over the shoulder “for a bold look and enhanced off-road traction,” and proprietary Equal Tension Containment System (ETEC System) technology for “toughness for all terrains.”
For consumers, the tire comes with a 50,000-mile manufacturer’s limited tread life warranty and carries a UTQG of 480 AB.
