Sailun Terramax RT targets rugged-terrain segment

LAS VEGAS — Sailun Tire Americas' (STA) latest product had a rocky debut recently.

The North American subsidiary of China's Sailun Group Co. Ltd. took a select group of customers and media on an off-road expedition through the trails and mountains of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas to demonstrate the performance of the Terramax RT, the tire maker's first foray into the rugged-terrain segment.

Over two days, a group of about 70 tested the on-/off-road tires, equipped on a Jeep, over the sometimes-harrowing Red Rock terrain.

The product carries the industry's Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMS) designation, indicating the product meets certain U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) requirements for performance in severe snow conditions.

The tire comes in 36 sizes, covering rim diameters of 17 to 22 inches, with flotation sizes available in 33-, 35- and 37-inch overall diameters.

The LT sizes are studable, Sailun said, perfect for the northern tier of the U.S. and throughout Canada, where STA is headquartered (Brampton, Ontario).

The tires have tread depths of 16/32nds-inch in P-metric sizes and 18/32nds-inch in LT designations, "ensuring it has "that grip that customers want."

The Terramax RT features a squared profile and a staggered, sculptured shoulder lugs with stone ejectors that enhance traction while continuing to remove debris from the tread. The center tread block design enhances stability, the tire maker said, while providing comfort and reduced noise.

The tread extends into the sidewall to create an attractive appearance, STA, providing extra traction and protection against nicks and scrapes.

Jared Lynch, director of sales in North America, said the rugged-terrain category is the fastest-growing tire segment.

Every Sailun tire sold in North America, Lynch said, is designed and engineered at the tire maker's research and development department in Chattanooga, Tenn. This tire, he said, was designed to perform well in gravel, mud and on rocks.

"We spent several years with the R&D department designing every aspect of this tire from the font to the sidewall shoulder to the tread design," Lynch said. "We wanted to make sure this tire was perfect, not only for the value segment but in general.

The tires are manufactured at Sailun's recently opened plant in Cambodia. Distribution in the U.S. is through TBC Corp.

STA has gained some traction over the last year with its release of its ERange EV tire portfolio, a value-tier product designed for electric vehicles.