Fulda Launches 4×4 Road Range

Fulda have announced the launch of their brand new range of tyres designed specifically for 4×4 Sports Utility Vehicles on the road. The range, Fulda 4×4 Road, is aimed in particular at models such as the BMW X5, Chrysler Cherokee, Nissan Murano, Range Rover, VW Touareg and similar vehicles. According to the company, the new tyres are designed and built to give increased road safety, road comfort and economy for the driver.

Fulda reports that customer research recently undertaken reveals some interesting data: the typical SUV-owning family is young, professional and with small children. Safety is the top consideration followed by durability and comfort.

Good tyre performance in all weather conditions, good on wet roads and short braking distance were among the top answers revealed by the survey. Durability was the second most important requirement with quality and long life as the main considerations. Comfort was also an important factor. The Fulda 4×4 Road range is said to address these issues by providing shorter stopping distances, increased durability and low noise and will give better mileage specifically for the road.

Shorter braking distances are achieved through a new silica-based compound and tread design. Durability comes from the robust multi-ply carcass construction as well as the tread shape and low noise results from the profile dynamics of the tread design.

According to Fulda, stopping distance is reduced through the introduction of a new silica based compound, which is said to be particularly effective in wet and slippery conditions. The tread, with a high density of radial grooves, provides a large number of biting edges, which create an effective paddle effect.

This further contributes to improved grip, especially on wet roads. The risk of aquaplaning is minimised thanks to wide circumferential grooves, which have enhanced capacity to evacuate large amounts of water. The low noise attributes are reportedly due to the tread pattern, which has angular centre grooves and gradual block-to-road impact, to limit noise frequency peaks. The size of block varies throughout the tread design, resulting in the generation of a number of different sound frequencies. The combined effect of these features is to reduce the overall noise level.
Rim protection is built into the Fulda 4×4 Road with special moulded profiles on its stylised sidewalls. These reduce the risk of kerb or pothole contact, this protecting the rims.

The tyres are available in 20 variants for 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19-inch rim diameters and in H – V speed ratings.