AKRON — After focusing on its mainline touring, winter and performance tire categories in 2020, Goodyear's consumer business unit is focusing its attention in 2021 on its light truck/SUV tire lineup with the launch of the new Wrangler Workhorse Powerline, encompassing three tires designed for both highway and off-road applications.
The Wrangler Workhorse Powerline portfolio — comprising HT, AT and RT applications — focuses on longevity, utility and enhanced traction, the company told dealers during a virtual dealer conference Dec. 7.
The new lineup, which is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2021, comprises:
- Wrangler Workhorse HT, designed with a long-wearing tread compound for highway driving and backed by a 60,000-mile limited treadwear warranty, providing "dependable" tread life and traction;
- Wrangler Workhorse AT, designed to deliver "strong" traction on and off road, enabling drivers to access remote job sites, and backed by a 50,000-mile limited treadwear warranty; and
- Wrangler Workhorse RT, designed to offer "durable" off-road performance with "excellent" traction and equipped with a chip- and chunk-resistant tread compound and pinned for optional studs. Backed with a 40,000-mile limited treadwear warranty, the Workhorse RT is seen as a tire for both consumer and B2B applications.
The AT and RT versions carry the industry's three-peak mountain snowflake rating for winter traction, according to Mike Dwyer, leader, consumer sales, North American Tire.
"We recognized a need in the market for a product line that helps to give consumers the freedom to go where their day or job takes them regardless of weather conditions or terrain," Ron Henegar, senior product marketing manager, said.
"The Wrangler Workhorse Powerline does just that and is a great solution for both consumers and fleets. It's dependable and versatile, on and off road.
"It was important for us to pursue the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake designation," Mr. Henegar added. "Prior to the Wrangler Workhorse Powerline, there was a gap in the mid-tier all-terrain segment. This offering really gives consumers an outstanding tire choice that will work hard for them in inclement weather."
The Wrangler Workhorse Powerline portfolio initially will include 70 sizes, covering 15- to 22-inch rim diameters for highway, all-terrain and rough terrain applications. An additional 22 sizes will be available in 2022.
Goodyear did not say which, if any, existing Wrangler products these new tires will replace. The new Wranglers are manufactured at Goodyear plants in the U.S.
The new Wrangler products follow the launch in February of a pair of passenger/SUV/CUV tires, the Assurance ComfortDrive all-season touring and WinterCommand Ultra studless winter tires, both of which have performed better than expectations, Mr. Dwyer said.
