NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Bridgestone Americas Inc. has rolled out the Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra, a premium highway touring tire targeted at drivers of luxury SUVs, CUVs and/or light trucks who looking for a luxury driving experience and year-round control.
Bridgestone previewed the Alenza AS Ultra in November 2020 during a virtual national dealers' meeting, giving its dealer base a sneak peek at a product line deemed critical for a rapidly growing market segment.
Bridgestone claims the Alenza AS Ultra delivers an "exceptional balance" of wet, winter and wear performance, due in part to a high-silica tread compound for improved wet and winter performance, a proprietary tread design for additional grip on snowy roads and Bridgestone QuietTrack tread design technology for a quiet and comfortable ride.
Bridgestone said the Alenza AS Ultra is a new segment in its consumer tire lineup and is considered the successor to the Dueler Alenza AS/AS Plus. The Dueler family of products will focus on the more rugged, off-road-focused end of the LT/SUV/CUV sector.
"The Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra tire leverages our latest innovations throughout its design and engineering to deliver premium highway touring performance for drivers looking to get the most out of their SUV, CUV or truck," said Mirella Cielo, president of Bridgestone Americas' consumer replacement tire sales and marketing.
"We are proud to say the Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra tire sets the standard for premium highway touring tires and offers long-lasting performance drivers can trust to carry them season after season."
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The Alenza AS Ultra launches in 49 sizes covering 16- to 22-inch rim diameters, ranging from 265/70R16 through 285/45R22 and covering 70 percent of SUVs, CUVs and light truck vehicle models released since 2010, Bridgestone said. The line is backed by an 80,000-mile limited warranty. The products carry T, H, V or W speed ratings, depending on size and load rating.
Among the sizes are fitments for the Audi Q5, BMW X7, Cadillac Escalade, Ford F-150, Lexus RX, Tesla Model X and Volvo XC90.
Pricing (minimum suggested retail price) starts at $174.99 for size 225/65R17. Bridgestone did not state where the Alenza line is being built.
Among the tires Bridgestone identified as competitors are the Michelin Premier LTX and CrossClimate 2, Continental CrossContact LX25 tire and Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus II.
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