A controlled ride doesn’t just happen. It’s the culmination of a series of engineering feats that blend technology, innovation, style, comfort and safety— the latter of which is the priority for most consumers.
So, any time a driver gets in the car, especially when taking to the open road, they want to feel in control of their ride. However, many may not know that this hinges greatly on the condition and quality of their tires.
Tires are the one part of the vehicle that connects drivers to road below. They’re an aspect of ride performance they can feel and hear. Driving in inclement weather elevates those demands to another level. Tire performance becomes paramount when roads are wet, slick, or ice- or snow-covered. Consumers can feel their car hydroplaning or skidding on black ice. And since wet traction is an aspect of handling consumers can detect, it’s also a feature you can sell.
The way tires handle can have a direct impact on how safe and confident a driver feels on the road. When they handle at an optimal level, they not only feel more confident but also build trust in you—the dealer who sold them.
Emerging Market Opportunities
Tires that were once designated for HP sports cars are now becoming standard with H- and V-rated performance, combined with A traction and the performance attributes that come with it —superior handling and wet-weather performance.
Combine that with a continued push at the OEM level to differentiate vehicles using low-profile tires and larger-diameter wheels on many new vehicles, especially CUVs, and what emerges is a growing market for tires engineered and designed for these applications.
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 wet-weather performance.
Achieving Superb Wet Traction
So, how exactly is superb wet traction achieved? The tire’s compound and design play a key role.
Groove size is one factor that influences wet performance. Deep grooves evacuate water and help channel it out from under the tire, providing better wet traction by increasing the tire’s footprint at higher speeds.
The tire’s compound affects how well it grips the road and can be a factor in the tire’s long-lasting performance. Each manufacturer uses their own recipe of chemical components and natural and synthetic rubber to create their secret sauce for wet grip, which allows the tire to cling to the road.
On the tread, wider rib sizes and increased void ratios also help contribute to better wet performance. The use of sipes—small, slit-like grooves in tread blocks—also increase traction by creating an additional biting edge. Sipes are especially helpful on ice and light snow.
Superb wet traction on Yokohama’s new premium, all-season CUV tire, the GEOLANDAR CV G058, is accomplished with:
- A new CV-2 Compound that features a unique new polymer blend for improved wet and winter traction without sacrificing dry traction and long-lasting wear.
- 2-D and 3-D Combination Sipes that combine the best performance for wet/winter grip and long mileage.
- Four Circumferential and Pass-thru Grooves that combine the best performance for wet/winter grip and long mileage. With this groove design, water has less distance to be channeled.
- Circumferential grooves that provide the shortest distance from the front to the rear edges of the contact patch.
When you take the time to educate customers on application-specific tire attributes, like features and benefits that tackle wet-weather conditions, you not only gain their complete confidence in the products you sell, but also in your dealership. And this elevated level of trust results in repeat tire sales and word-of-mouth referrals.
When your CUV customers come and ask you for a reliable tire, you can confidently recommend the GEOLANDAR CV G058, precisely engineered for wet-weather traction for CUV applications.
This article was sponsored by Yokohama Tire. For more information, visit yokohamatire.com.
