General Tire is introducing two new products to the product family. The ultra-high performance all-season G-MAX AS-05 and the Grabber HD.
The G-MAX AS-05 is a bold ultra-high performance tire offering all-season traction. It features an asymmetric tread pattern with a 50,000-mile limited tread wear warranty. Smart Grip Technology offers sporty performance on dry roads and sure footed grip in wet and snow conditions. Its StabiliTread Technology creates a flatter and larger contact patch which promotes more even wear and longer tread life. Smart Monitor indicators alert the driver when the vehicle is misaligned and when the tire needs to be replaced. A total of 54 sizes will be included in diameters ranging from 16" up to 22" with a range of 35 to 55 series covering 90% of the market. It's a smarter tire for a smarter driver.
The new Grabber HD is a heavy duty all-season tire for commercial light trucks and vans that delivers long even tread life, durability, confident traction and handling. The Duragen Technology provides impressive durability and a flatter footprint for longer wear. The Grabber HD also features Sidewall Curb Guards that helps to protect the tire from curbs and other potential sidewall abrasions. A total of 11 sizes will be offered. Eight of those are 16" and 17" LT-Metric sizes while the other three sizes are 15" and 16" Euro Van Metric sizes. Internal testing showed the Grabber HD provides up to 25% better mileage than the Firestone Transforce HT.*
“We’re excited to introduce both of these tires to our dealers and ultimately to the consumer,” admitted Travis Roffler, director of marketing for General Tire. “Both tires are very different from each other but play a key role in our product line up. The UHP G-MAX AS-05 will eventually replace the AS-03 that has served us so well.”
“The Grabber HD will fill a void that we have had for light trucks and vans used by small businesses and fleets. Our dealers have needed another choice in that category for a longtime and we’re very pleased to provide that for them,” offered Roffler.
A two-pronged approach has been utilized for introducing dealers and media to these new products. One set of dealers and media learned about the new products during a business meeting held on a cruise ship in the Bahamas during the annual GOLD Dealer trip earlier this week. Today, another set of dealers and media are visiting Texas to kick-off the annual dealer Drive and Learn event. For six weeks throughout April and May, a group of dealers will arrive each day of the week in San Antonio, Texas where they will learn about the new tires in a presentation over dinner. The following day, they will experience the tires firsthand by driving them on a variety of courses at the corporate proving grounds in Uvalde, Texas. That night, a new set of dealers arrive and have the same experience. By the end of the program, more than 1,100 dealers will have attended the program.
*Based on internal tread wear test results compared Firestone Transforce HT in tire size LT245/70R17 119/116R. On road results may vary.
