Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. has hit the road with an “All or Nothing Road Tour” to get its top dealers up-to-speed on the features and benefits of two new Toyo tires, the Open Country R/T for light trucks and the premium, all-season Versado Noir for sedans and coupes. The tires will be available in September.
The company is driving a specially outfitted truck more than 8,000 miles to visit 19 cities (20 planned dealer stops). The marketing rig carries training materials on Toyo's new tires with which more than 800 direct dealer employees and associated dealers will be trained, according to Roy Bromfield, the company’s chief operating officer.
Ninety-minute training sessions are being conducted by Ali Aljibouri, a training facilitator and professional test driver. The company is averaging two training sessions per day with 20 to 25 participants each.
Bringing the tour to the dealers adds impact and gives the attendees hands-on experience with the new tires, which will be available beginning September 2, the company notes.
The Open Country R/T is built rugged for any terrain and offers a blend of off-road traction, durable construction and aggressive styling. It features low on-road noise and a long lasting tread.
“Our market research revealed many truck, Jeep and SUV owners are looking for a combination of performance and features not available in current mud-terrain or all-terrain tires,” says Bromfield. “What these owners really want is the Toyo Open Country R/T -- a premium tire that handles exceptionally well off-road and looks aggressive, but is also quiet and long-lasting enough for everyday driving.”
The Open Country R/T features a high turn-up, three-ply polyester casing for strength and optimum handling, durability and tread life. It has two spiral cap plies, contributing to high speed endurance and uniformity.
Additional features include wide shoulder grooves, mud biting blocks and stone and mud ejectors. In addition to resisting impact, the durable sidewall compound is molded into two distinct designs so owners can customize their look, Toyo points out.
On-road comfort and longer tire life come from a special tread compound, an optimized pattern arrangement and interlocking tread blocks
Eight initial launch sizes range from 17- to 20-inches in wheel diameter. The company plans to release additional sizes in early 2015. Metric widths are 285 mm in 65- and 70-series profiles. Flotation sizes are 12 to 50 inches, with diameters ranging from 33 to 37 inches. It has a Q speed rating.
The Versado Noir's Silent Wall technology in the tread grooves reduces road noise.
The company’s new Versado Noir luxury touring all-season passenger tire will be available in 15- through 18-inch rim diameters. Widths range from 195 mm to 245 mm with 70- to 40-series profiles.
It features a quiet, comfortable ride, long tread life and fuel efficiency. It comes with up to a 75,000-mile tread wear warranty and has an H-, V- or W-speed rating. It also is eligible for the Toyo Tires No Regrets 45-Day/500-Mile Trial Offer.
The asymmetric tread pattern has rigid outside tread blocks which both act as a “sound wall” for a quieter ride and to stabilize tread for improved wear while being tuned for responsiveness. Sipes also extend into the main grooves on the outside of the tread to improve performance in the snow. The inner portion of the tread has a higher sipe density to further improve traction in both the rain and snow.
Multi-wave, interlocking sipes decrease tread block movement and keep more of the tire tread in contact with the road surface for improved wet and dry performance as well as reduced irregular wear.
