In less than eight months Michelin North America Inc.'s BFGoodrich brand has sold more than 1 million All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires in North America.
Since the light truck tire's launch in November 2014 with 12 sizes, the KO2 has been expanded to 40 available sizes, and another 21 sizes will be available to more than 20,000 authorized dealers when the line expansion is complete in the coming months, the company says. The additional sizes will be rolled out gradually, beginning in August and continuing through October.
Engineered from BFGoodrich’s championship off-road motorsports racing technology, including a record 84 off-road wins at races in the Baja peninsula, the KO2 delivers exceptional toughness, tread life and traction for traversing the harshest conditions, including gravel, dirt, rock, mud and snow. The new KO2 provides consumers the confidence to take on the toughest challenges for work or play.
Compared to its predecessor, the KO tire, the new All-Terrain KO2 delivers the total performance that demanding light truck owners require in a tire every day. The KO2 fits a range of vehicles, including Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, Dodge, Jeep, Toyota and Nissan pickup trucks and SUVs as well as plus fitments for a wide variety of vehicles.
The KO2 is an all-season tire bearing the 3 peak mountain snowflake symbol, indicating it exceeds the Rubber Manufacturer Association’s severe snow traction requirements.
Key features of the KO2 include:
- Tougher Sidewalls: The KO2 uses race-proven and race-winning CoreGard technology, developed in the Baja T/A KR2 for split and bruise-resistant sidewall rubber, and a thicker, extended shoulder to prevent sidewall failures. Computer modeling was used to predict object paths and create a sidewall designed to deflect protruding objects, reducing the chances of splits and snags. Compared to the current KO tire, the new KO2 is up to 20% stronger in this critical off-road performance area.
- Longer Tread Life: The KO2 has a new tread design and rubber formulation that helps it last twice as long on gravel and 15 percent longer on asphalt than the KO tire, allowing off-road enthusiasts to extend their adventures and working professionals to get more use out of the tire. The tread rubber has been blended to reduce chips and tears on gravel. A new footprint shape and interlocking tread design provide more uniform wear over the long haul. Special stone ejectors push objects out of the tread to reduce drilling into the tire.
- Aggressive Traction: The KO2 also has a range of tread features for better mud and snow traction. The improvements to the legendary all-terrain performance include 10% greater traction in the mud and 19% greater traction in the snow compared to the previous-generation KO tire. Side-Biter lugs in the sidewall improve traction in mud, snow and rocks. Raised bars in the shoulder help release compacted mud for better traction in soft soil. 3-D sipes create biting edges for better snow traction.
For more information about the BFGoodrich brand visit www.BFGoodrichTires.com.
