Cooper Presents New US Sport Truck Tyre

Cooper has announced the release of its newest hybrid sport truck tyre, the Cooper Zeon LTZ. The company says that the tyre’s hybrid technology represents its attempt to combine the performance required for today’s SUVs and CUVs, with the aggressiveness of a go-anywhere, all-terrain product.

“This tyre follows the successful launch of the high performance sport truck tyre, the Cooper Zeon XSTA, earlier this year,” said Hal Gardner, Cooper’s vice president of marketing. “With the LTZ, Cooper set its sights on the off-road market, combining sport-truck market thinking and innovative technology. Rather than just develop an all-terrain tyre for the traditional 15- and 16-inch applications, Cooper engineers designed the LTZ for larger diameter applications, currently as big as 24 inches.”

The prime feature of the new LTZ is Cooper’s tread design, which is tailored to provide all-season performance on the road with all-terrain traction. Dual z-shaped sipes on each tread lug ensure great handling and solid traction. The LTZ’s silica-enhanced, all-season tread compound is moulded into a tread pattern that features deep tread in the centre rib for stability, slightly shallower tread in the shoulders for improved wear and enhanced wet weather handling.

The lug tie-in zones incorporate raised, serrated “lug locks” between the tread block elements to reinforce the tread pattern for enhanced steering and all-terrain traction, making it a great fit for today’s SUVs and CUVs. The computer-designed mould profile incorporates special venting technology in the tread area to provide a crisp, premium appearance. The tyre also features an aggressive black sidewall, with reversed block lettering.

This line will be introduced in two phases. Cooper Tire dealers will begin selling the initial offering of eight popular SUV sizes, and one light truck size, within the 18- to 24-inch rim diameters, while phase two will comprise the popular light truck fitments of 16- though 20-inch wheel diameters scheduled for the first quarter 2009, all S-speed rated.