Hercules Tire and Rubber Company (HTR), a subsidiary of American Tire Distributors (ATD), today announced the launch of Roadtour® Connect PCV, a premium, all-season touring tire. Its fitments and sizes will fit a broad range of passenger and crossover vehicles, including many hybrid vehicle platforms.
Roadtour® Connect PCV replaces Hercules’ two most popular touring tires—the Roadtour® 855 SPE and the Roadtour® 655 MRE. The new tire provides newer technology, more balanced tire performance and a consistent treadwear coverage, delivering 70,000 miles across all sizes and speed ratings. It will be available in 39 SKUs between 15 and 20 inches.
“Roadtour Connect PCV ushers in a new era for Hercules Tires, enabling us to begin to connect our existing customer base with emerging market segments, such as hybrid vehicles,” said Steven Liu, vice president of product development. “We took market feedback and combined that with technological advances since the release of the Roadtour® 855 SPE and Roadtour® 655 MRE and created the best all-around solution that maximizes the most important performance attributes while minimizing trade-offs. By consolidating two product lines into one, we optimize our dealers’ cash flow and their investment in inventory.”
New features include a nylon over-wrap to improve the tire’s durability and wear. Added silica improves the tire’s wet and snow performance compared to the previous Roadtour® models, making it a confident choice in difficult road conditions.
Other features and benefits of the tire include:
- Optimized Tread Contact Patch – A postcard-sized area of the tread is the only part of the tire that makes constant contact with the road. The size and shape of the Roadtour® Connect PCV has been optimized for a quiet ride and predictable control while improving fuel efficiency.
- Smart Interior Construction and Advanced Silica Tread Compound – This feature increases tread life and enhances performance in all-season conditions, keeping drivers connected to the road when it’s needed most.
- Wide Circumferential Center and Intermediate Grooves - A balanced system of alternating and full-depth grooves allow water and snow to be expelled from the tread contact patch. This enables the vehicle to remain connected to the road throughout the life of the tire.
- Unique Corrugated and Full-Depth Siping – This feature creates biting edges for improved traction, stable handling and confident steering response, even as the tire wears.
The tire is backed by the Hercules Performance Promise, which offers a 70,000-mile treadwear warranty, a 45-day “Trust our Ride” test drive, and road hazard protection across all sizes.
Celebrating 70 years in the tire industry this month, Hercules continues to build on its strategy of providing its customer base in the US and Canada with a steady stream of new products, enabling Hercules to be a true a one-stop shop for passenger light truck and commercial tire needs.
Earlier this year, Hercules launched its first ATV/UTV tire, the TIS UT1 by Hercules, and its first tire for the agricultural market, the AG-TRAC RT45 R-1W, designed for four-wheel- and mechanical front-wheel-drive (MFWD) tractors.
Hercules Launches Roadtour Connect PCV
Top-Selling Tires Consolidated into a New Line Enables Hercules to Streamline Passenger Products, Optimize Inventory Investment for Dealers