General Tire launches two new all-terrain tires for on- and off-road driving

• Grabber X³ delivers strong grip and robust performance even in tough terrain
• Grabber AT³ combines high off-road performance with safe on-road handling

Hanover, Germany / Valencia, Spain, September 2016. Tire brand General Tire is continuing its product offensive with two new SUV tires for on- and off-road use. From next October, the new Grabber X³ for driving in tough terrain and the new Grabber AT³ for mixed on- and off-road use will be added to the brand’s portfolio. Both models feature the robust characteristics and high grip that their intended applications demand. For the Grabber X³ the development engineers at General Tire give an on/off-road ratio of 20/80 percent, while for the Grabber AT³ the ratio is 50/50.  With these two new tires, General Tire, the tradition-rich brand with its American heritage, offers new solutions in its core all-terrain segment for off-road driving enthusiasts, as well as for professionals in the construction, agricultural and forestry sectors who expect maximum mobility in even the toughest conditions. The Grabber X³ will be available in 19 sizes for rims from 15 to 19 inches, while the new Grabber AT³ will be manufactured in 64 sizes for rims from 15 to 20 inches. Both models will bear the M+S mark and the snowflake symbol, indicating their suitability for all-season use.

The new Grabber X³

With the new Grabber X³, the U.S. tire brand has developed an SUV/all-terrain model for both on- and off-road use. The emphasis, though, is clearly on off-road applications with an 80/20 off/on-road weighting. To help them meet a demanding set of specifications, General Tire’s development engineers devised three new technologies: “Extreme Mud (X Mud)” for maximum traction in deep mud, “Extreme Dirt (X Dirt)” for driving on dirt and gravel, and “Extreme Rock (X Rock)” for tackling rocky terrain. All three rely on a tread pattern that features deep grooves, channels for mud evacuation and staggered edges.  It’s a design that makes for high levels of grip on sand, mud and gravel. Chamfered block edges, wider grooves in the tread and narrow grooves in the tread base help displace stones faster when traveling over gravel and prevent them notching or lodging in the tread. When driving over rocks, grip edges arranged at different angles in the robust tread deliver maximum grip in every direction. A series of deflection ribs protect the sidewalls against damage from stones or gravel, making for highly robust performance in tough terrain. In terms of construction, the development engineers at General Tire have opted for a three-ply structure that provides additional strength and puncture resistance. Compared to this tire’s predecessor, its performance on sand and in loose gravel has been improved by five percent in each case, while performance over rocky terrain has been given a ten percent boost. In on-road use the new Grabber X³ is several percentage points better than its predecessor in terms of wet performance and noise, while on snow-covered ground this all-season off-road tire delivers a ten percent improvement. The Grabber X³ will be available from tire dealers from the coming fall and General Tire will be manufacturing 19 different sizes for 15- to 19-inch rims. All sizes of this off-road specialist are approved for speeds of up to 160 km/h.

The new Grabber AT³

 For the new Grabber AT³ the engineers at General Tire have also developed no fewer than three new technologies that endow their latest arrival with high grip both on- and off-road, enhanced acoustic performance, and high mileage. “TracGen” technology, for example, includes an open shoulder design, traction ridges, what the developers call “traction pockets”, and sipes arranged at different angles. This combination of design features boosts the self-cleaning properties of the tread, permits good interlocking with loose surfaces and provides a large number of edges to deliver grip in every direction. The second technology from the developers’ bag of tricks is called “DuraGen” and its job is to boost mileage in rough terrain and under high torsion – i.e. when side loads are applied to part of the tread.  This meant developing a new tire compound that provides excellent chip and cut resistance.  In addition, stone bumpers protect the tread base, helping to ensure that stones don’t get stuck in the tread and damage the tire.  And extremely strong steel belts help the tire to deliver high mileage. The third technology, known as “ComfortBalance” demonstrates the developers’ success in overcoming the conflicting interests of ride comfort on asphalt and good off-road grip.  The balanced block geometry of the tread with low stiffness and the specially modified arrangement of the blocks in the center of the tread reduce vibration in the tire, which makes for good ride comfort on the road, while also providing an even footprint. On wet and dry asphalt, the new Grabber AT³ performs at the same high level as its predecessor, while traction on snow has been substantially improved. In off-road use, grip in mud and on wet grass has been improved, and the tire presents higher resistance to tread damage than its predecessor. In the coming fall, General Tire will initially be producing 44 metric sizes for rims between 15 and 20 inches, with an additional 20 LT and C sizes to follow in the spring of 2017. These tires are approved for speeds of up to 240 km/h. As an all-season tire, the Grabber AT³ bears the M+S mark and the snowflake symbol to document its safe handling characteristics on snow-covered roads.