Hercules launches all-season touring tire

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C.—Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. has launched an all-season touring tire, the Roadtour Connect PCV for passenger, crossover and hybrid vehicles.

The Roadtour Connect PCV replaces two touring tires in the Hercules lineup: The Roadtour 855 SPE and the Roadtour 655 MRE.

Hercules, a subsidiary of American Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD), said the tire provides new technology and a more balanced performance, with a treadware warranty of 70,000 miles, across all sizes and speed ratings.

The tire wil be available in 39 SKUs, covering rim diameters of 15 to 20 inches.

Steven Liu, vice president of product development, said the tire "ushers in a new era for Hercules Tires, enabling us to begin to connect our existing customer base with emerging market segments, such as hybrid vehicles."

He said the company combined market feedback with technology to create "the best all-around solution that maximizes the most important performance attributes while minimizing trade-offs. By consolidating two product lines into one, we optimize our dealers' cash flow and their investment in inventory."

Among the new features are a nylon over-wrap to improve the tire's durability and wear. More silica improves the tire's wet and snow performance compared to the previous Roadtour models, Hercules said.

Other features include:

• Optimized tread contact patch: A postcard-sized area of the tread is the only part of the tire that makes constant contact with the road. The size and shape of the Roadtour Connect PCV has been optimized for a quiet ride while improving fuel efficiency.
• New interior construction and advanced silica compound: This increases tread life and enhances performance in all-season conditions.
• Wide circumferential center and intermediate grooves: A system of alternating and full-depth grooves allow water and snow to be expelled from the tread contact patch, Hercules said, enabling .the vehicle to remain connected to the road.
• Corrugated and full-depth siping: This creates biting edges for improved traction, stable handling and confident steering response, even as the tire wears. the company said.
• The Roadtour Connect PCV has a 45-day "Trust our Ride" test drive, and road hazard protection across all sizes.

Earlier this year, Hercules launched its first ATV/UTV tire, the TIS UT1 and its first tire for the agricultural market, the AG-TRAC RT45 R-1W, designed for four-wheel- and mechanical front-wheel-drive (MFWD) tractors.