AKRON—As part of a strategy to simplify offerings from its Dunlop brand, Goodyear has launched the Dunlop Rover H/T all-season tire for SUV and light truck fitments, replacing the more dated GrandTrek AT20 and Rover A/T.
The tire, which is available to dealers now, is a mid-tier model featuring a contemporary tread design and sleek shoulder profile, said Jonathan Lee, Dunlop general manager, and it is meant to appeal to a younger audience.
The target demographic for the tire includes 18- to 44-year-olds who are college educated, drive mostly on-highway but want some all-terrain capability and are concerned about the appearance of their tires.
“There's a new generation of drivers looking for a little more stylish tire, a little more stylish alternative to what we already offer,” Lee said. “We had the opportunity to update our product screen with something more contemporary for on-highway drivers.”
Goodyear is offering the Dunlop Rover H/T in 25 P-metric SUV sizes backed by a 60,000-mile limited tread life warranty and eight light truck sizes backed by a 45,000-mile warranty. Each tire also is supported by Dunlop's 30-Day Pledge, which allows customers to bring back a set of tires within the first 30 days of purchase and exchange them for another set.
Key features of the new tire include the company's V-Lock Grooves, which are designed to deliver enhanced grip through the use of aggressively styled biting edges.
The tire also includes dimensionally stable polyester to help maintain tire uniformity, Versaload Technology to maximize the tire's contact footprint, and 5-Pitch Technology, which the company said aids in noise reduction.
Dunlop Brand Manager Stephen Ferguson said while no new technology was introduced with the Rover H/T, “it's really more about taking the technologies we have in place and putting them into the new product because they work so well for us. ... It's evolution, not revolution for this product.”
Goodyear already has begun shipping several sizes of the Rover H/T, and the entire line will be available on the market by January, Lee said.