To G.S. Sareen, CEO of Omni United (S) Pte. Ltd., tires don’t have to be a commodity. He wants to turn buying tires into a lifestyle purchase.
To that end, he has partnered with Timberland LLC to introduce the Radar Timberland line of tires. The co-branded line, manufactured by Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., is “the first tire brand developed in partnership with a leading global lifestyle brand, positioned at the premium end of the market,” according to Sareen.
Timberland tires will be the first tires purposely designed to be recycled into footwear outsoles after their journey on the road is complete. The tires were unveiled at the 2014 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show today, Nov. 4.
"Our partnership with Omni United marks a new day for the tire and footwear industries," says Stewart Whitney, president of Timberland. “An outdoor lifestyle brand and an automotive industry leader may, at first blush, seem unlikely partners -- yet our shared values have given birth to tires that express a lifestyle, deliver performance and safety, and prove that sustainability can be so much more than a theory.
"It’s this kind of cross-industry collaboration that’s fueling real change and innovation in the marketplace."
The first Timberland tire will be the Timberland Cross, a premium broad market tire designed for crossover utility vehicles such as the Acura MDX, Chevy Equinox, Ford Escape, GM Envoy, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue and Toyota RAV4. It will be available in April 2015 in 21 outline white letter (OWL) and blackwall sizes.
Another 14 sizes will be available in September 2015. Sareen says the complete size complement will provide 82% coverage of the P-metric CUV tire market.
Timberland Cross sizes (35)
16-inch (nine): from 225/75R16 104T to 265/70R16 112T.
17-inch (eight): from 235/70R17 111T to 265/65R17 112T.
18-inch (10): from 255/70R18 113T to 255/55R18 109H.
19-inch (three): 255/60R19 109H, 245/55R19 103T and 255/50R19 XL 107H.
20-inch (five): from 275/60R20 115T to 265/50R20 107T.
Omni United’s suggested retail pricing will range from $145 on size 215/70R16 100T to $257 on the 255/50R19 XL 107H.
On the heels of the Timberland Cross, Omni United will introduce the Timberland A/T. The tire is designed “to provide pickup, Jeep and SUV owners off-road capabilities with a rugged look – without sacrificing on-road manners.” Vehicle fitments include the Chevy Silverado and Suburban; Ford Explorer and F-series; Jeep Wrangler; Dodge Ram 1500; and Toyota Tundra.
The company will launch the Timberland A/T in 14 P-metric and LT sizes in July 2015. The P-metric sizes will range from 235/75R15 105T to 275/55R20117T.
Four of the five LT sizes will be Load Range E sizes; the other will be a Load Range C size (31x10.50R15LT 109R).
Another 16 Timberland A/T sizes will be available in March 2016, including eight more Load Range E sizes. Omni United says its suggested retail pricing on the A/T will range from $125 on the 235/75R15 105T OWL size to $299 on the LT275/65R20126/123S blackwall size.
A third line, the Timberland Tour, will be launched in 2016 in at least 25 sizes.
(For an in-depth look at the launch of Timberland tires, including a interviews with Omni United’s Sareen and John Soule, vice president of global marketing and licensed brands, check out “Tires as a lifestyle choice” in MTD’s November issue.)
For more information about Timberland tires, visit www.timberlandtires.com.
