Focus on industry
BFG advances its Advantage T/A ‘powerline’ It offers one solution for drivers and dealers, says Michelin By Lori L. Mavrigian
M
ichelin North America Inc. is powering-up its BFGoodrich tire lines with two tires, the next generation Advantage T/A and the new Advantage T/A LT. They boost what the company is calling its “powerline,” which offers consumers all-season/all-purpose tires with advanced mileage and agile handling. The BFG Advantage T/A is for cars, CUVs and minivans, while the BFG Advantage T/A LT is for CUVs, SUVs and some light trucks. The tires fall within the BFGoodrich portfolio which also includes:
• the Mud-Terrain T/A and All-Terrain T/A KO2 for off-road performance; • the Advantage T/A LT and Advantage T/A for daily fun; and • the g-Force Comp-2 A/S and g-Force Sport Comp-2 for ultra-high performance. According to Matthew Cabe, senior country operations marketing manager for Michelin, “We are really attacking the powerline concept. What that means to us is being able to provide our dealers with options, whether it’s the Advantage T/A or the Advantage T/A LT. We don’t have any overlapping sizes; they’re very much one continuous entity.”
Advantage light truck The Advantage T/A LT has what the company describes as a “raptor claw” tread design which has earned the three peak mountain snowflake symbol for winter driving. “In tests,” says Cabe, “the tires had 30% better snow traction than the leading competitors.” The Advantage T/A LT is going to replace the company’s Long Trail T/A Tour, which is being phased out. The new tire is also 9% better in preventing hydroplaning than the Long Trail and 10% better in handling, notes Cabe. It also offers a “much more competitive warranty. We’re 60,000 miles on the V-rated tire and 65,000 miles on the T and H. “The Long Trail was getting a bit long in the tooth,” says Cabe. “We had the opportunity to take advantage of putting in some better technology than what we had before.” Both tires incorporate the company’s 3D Active Sipe and Aqua-Flume technology. Michelin also is touting the tire’s full-depth tread feature,
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The full-depth, “raptor claw” tread on the Advantage T/A LT is designed to look the same when worn as it does new, therefore retaining its performance characteristics.
which means the tread looks the same when worn as it does when new. Cabe says, “The tagline we’re using is ‘Bald isn’t always beautiful.’ We feel like we’re bringing value to the consumer and thereby value to our dealers. “They can stand by their tires and tell customers, ‘We’re providing you with something that’s top shelf. You’re getting a lot of benefits through the entire tire life, not just surface level, but full depth.’ “I feel like we’re able to bring a tire to market that’s not a one-trick pony,” Cabe says. “Some of our competitors’ tires are one dimensional. We’re bringing something to market that serves the needs of the majority of consumers, and because of the additional handling and snow performance, people can have fun with it.” Thirty-three sizes are currently available ranging from 16-inch to 20-inch. Six more sizes will be released in March 2018, including one 22-inch size: 285/45R22. “This is the evolution of the market,” Cabe points out. “This points to the growth of SUVs now and in the future. We’re looking at ahead to 2024. SUVs are going up, passenger vehicles are going down. Light trucks are stable. Currently, light trucks are the number-one and number-two-selling vehicles in the market. The Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado own a huge share of the segment. The LT line plays well with this trend and it looks good on them.” With the addition of the two tires, the company is also phasing out:
• the previous generation Advantage T/A; • the g-Force Super Sport (H – and V-rated); and • the Touring T/A (a Sam’s Club-specific tire). ■ MTD November 2017
