Conti rounds out General brand's winter line

MONT TREMBLANT, Quebec—Continental Tire the Americas' General Tire brand ended a three-year journey to upgrade and expand its winter tire lineup with another journey for some of its dealers, so to speak.

The company hosted a group of about 100 dealers and selected media from the U.S. and Canada in Mont Tremblant Feb. 7-8 to launch the Altimax Arctic 12 winter tire.

Designed specifically for passenger cars, minivans, crossovers and compact SUVs, the Altimax Arctic 12 replaces the Altimax Arctic and completes a General-brand winter tire portfolio that also includes the Grabber Arctic, which was released for the winter 2015 season, and the Grabber Arctic LT, which was released prior to this winter season.

The release of the Altimax Arctic 12 gives General Tire the ability to cover 72 sizes in the winter tire market.

"Our General Tire winter line has built a reputation among our dealer network and consumers as a solid winter tire option with impressive performance," said Travis Roffler, director of marketing for General Tire.

"The new General Altimax Arctic 12 will continue to strengthen that reputation as it takes winter traction and handling to a new level."

For the launch event, General Tire tested its lineup of winter tires against competitors in a series of performance and endurance tests on various ice, snow and off-road conditions.

The testing was conducted on specially designed tracks at the International Center of Advanced Racing facility, a one-time major airport in Mirabel, Quebec. Though the facility still operates as an airport, most of the runways have been transformed into a recreational race track. Continental Tires has a permanent presence at ICAR.

The tire maker even rented a Zamboni ice-smoothing machine to groom the ice on portions of the track, where drivers tested the time and distance needed to stop a passenger car using the Altimax Arctic 12.

"We want to be able to show our dealers the competitiveness of our product and show that it does perform in snow and ice conditions," said Joe Maher, Continental's product manager for passenger and winter tires in the U.S. "Hopefully they have a good time, they see our new product, they learn about our new product, and they will be as excited if not more excited about our new product versus its predecessor."

Maher said the Altimax Arctic 12 resembles its predecessor, the Altimax Artic, in name only. The previous product, which is Q rated, serviced small cars to an F350, and it was offered only for 17-inch applications.

"What's not different is almost nothing," Maher said. "We have a new pattern. We have a new contour, and we have a new compound. The pattern is designed to deliver both dry, wet snow and ice traction. We have a contour that is designed to give a broad contact patch, which helps to improve snow and ice performance, and it improves the mileage by 18 percent."

General Tire said it will offer the tire in 47 extra load T-rated sizes, from 14-to 19-inch rim diameters, including multiple 17- and 18-inch fitments. Dealers may order the tire in March, for delivery in July and August, in time for the 2017-18 winter season.

The Grabber Arctic line offers 15 sizes designed for SUVs and small pickup trucks, and features a directional pattern that helps in hydroplaning resistance, according to Maher. The Grabber Artic LT, which features 10 sizes, offers a heavier commercial load-carrying capacity. All three lines are studdable.

While the Grabber Arctic and Grabber Arctic LT are produced predominantly in the U.S., the Altimax Arctic 12 will be made in Europe.

According to Maher, the Altimax Arctic 12 has a directional pattern, which helps in hydroplaning resistance. "It is highly siped, which helps in snow and ice, and it has a very broad center rib that gives good responsiveness on dry asphalt and dry pavement. It's a really good balance of wet, snow and ice grip."

The Altimax Artic 12 is designed to last at least three winter seasons, he said, and will be priced competitively within the market at the time it is available to be ordered.

Maher said it can be difficult to educate consumers about the benefit of the winter tire, which is designed with a compound that remains pliable in very cold conditions.

"There's a good message to replace your tires and to put winter tires on in a climate where it's 45 degrees or below on average in the winter," he said. "That allows you to have a good grip both in cold temperature and also in snow and ice conditions."