March 17, 2010
Cooper hears voices
Dealer feedback results in the Weather-Master WSC
By: Bob Ulrich
Cooper designed the Weather-Master WSC with premium vehicles, like the BMW X3, in mind.
”Good in snow, but not very good on wet or icy roads.”
”S/T2 needs a face-lift.”
”North of greater-Toronto needs a snow, studdable tire.”
”Blocky look is old looking.”
When Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. wanted to find out what its dealers thought about its winter tire offerings last year, it started its “Voice of the Customer” campaign. The dealers didn’t hold back.
And Cooper listened. The result is the new Weather-Master WSC, a premium, studdable winter tire designed for crossover vehicles and SUVs.
Compared to the Weather-Master S/T2, the WSC has superior snow handling; ice acceleration and braking; wet braking and handling; dry braking; “subjective” soft handling; and, all things being equal, tread life, according to the company’s testing. The S/T2, which is designed for passenger cars, has better dry handling capabilities.
The WSC (which stands for “Winter, Snow Confidence and Control”) is being marketed as a companion to the S/T2 (and, to a lesser extent, the Discoverer M&S), not a replacement for it.
The new tire initially will be available in 10 T-rated metric sizes. Four are XL sizes: 265/65R17, 205/50R17, 235/55R17 and 235/60R18. The other six are 18-inch sizes: 235/55R18, 245/60R18, 265/60R18, 215/55R18, 235/65R18 and 235/50R18.
Only one size, 235/55R17, is common to both the WSC and S/T2. “We’re trying to address missing holes,” says Jeff Schroeder, passenger, winter and UHP tire segment manager for Cooper’s North American Tire Division.
More sizes will be introduced in 2011; whether there will be any more sizes available to both Weather-Master lines is “undetermined,” according to Schroeder.
“The chances are very likely we’ll have S/T2 sizes for quite some time,” he says.
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