FINDLAY, Ohio—Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has begun shipping its new all-season Cooper CS3 Touring tire.
The new tire—unveiled at last year's Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas—became available June 10 in T- and H-rated sizes, with V-rated sizes available in August, Cooper said.
Scott Jamieson, director of product management for Findlay-based Cooper, said the CS3 is replacing the Cooper Lifeliner GLS, and has “features and benefits” the Lifeliner GLS did not have, including some size additions, especially in the H and V segments.
He added that the company expects the CS3 to be successful in the mid-range, appealing to “value-oriented” customers. The tire comes in a total of 48 sizes—16 H-rated, 11 V-rated and 21 T-rated sizes.
The CS3 has a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty for T-rated and 50,000-mile warranty for H- and V-rated sizes.
“The CS3 is really designed to provide good durability and an element of low rolling resistance with a good ride and handling,” said Bruce Sanborn, product segment manager.
Cooper's goal, according to Mr. Sanborn, was to create a line that could really stand out in the mid-range market, where there is much competition.
“We want to try to create a distinct difference for our dealers and the consumers,” he told Tire Business.
Features of the CS3 include:
c Circumferential grooves to provide superior hydroplaning resistance;
c A newly-designed pitch sequence that provides lower in-vehicle noise;
c A new touring tread compound; and
c Wide footprint for improved traction and handling.
Mr. Sanborn said the CS3 also has 3D Micro-Gauge siping, which has 30 percent more sipe length than a typical tire.
Cooper is launching its newest patent-pending “Stabiledge” technology on the CS3, providing better dry traction and soft handling/on-center response.
Mr. Sanborn said the Stabiledge technology incorporates little “nubs” that “act as little bumpers,” meaning as the tire rolls, the nubs compress together, which “stabilizes those tread elements.”
Mr. Jamieson called the CS3 an “uncompromising choice for a value-oriented purchase.”
“It plays to the Cooper brand's strength,” he added. “We have always been a brand that stands for a value-priced product with performance that exceeds expectations, and I think this is true to that cause and it should play very well for our dealers.”
All CS3 tires are being manufactured in Cooper's plant in Tupelo, Miss.