06 March 2004
MUSCAT — Bridgestone has unveiled the new 44 Dueler A/T 694, a robust and stylish all-terrain tyre with outstanding wet performance and longer wear life, a press release said.
Replacing the successful Dueler A/T 693 as it nears the end of its life cycle, the new Dueler A/T694 features a completely re-designed tread pattern incorporating Bridgestone’s top wet-grip technology.
According to a company spokesperson, sales of Bridgestone’s 4x4 range has grown by 167 per cent and topped 1 million units a year worldwide. A feature of this strong growth trend is the popularity of all-terrain patterns in the replacement market, reflecting the importance of rugged design to owners of four-wheel drive vehicles.
Bridgestone’s idea behind the Dueler A/T694 was to maintain the capability and appeal of an aggressive all-terrain look — including white lettering on some sizes and an attractive sidewall design — while adding significant improvement to on-road performance.
Applied for the first time on a Bridgestone 4x4 tyre, Shark Skin technology (so called because it resembles the natural riblet on a shark’s skin) reduces flow resistance on the groove walls caused by turbulence. The water, therefore, drains more smoothly and efficiently away from the blocks, cutting down the risk of hydroplaning.
The Dueler A/T 694 has high-density siping, producing better grip with more edges to bite into any surface they are driven on. But the real advantage comes as the tread wears down, when normal tyres would suffer a loss of grip. The A/T 694 has three-dimensional Z-shaped sipes that increase in length as the tread block wears. So the edge effect is maintained, giving consistent urban and off-road performance throughout the tyre’s life. The tread blocks of the Dueler A/T 694 are shaped to equalise the contact pressure distribution over the block area, enhancing overall performance and so reducing the wear rate. Testing on Bridgestone proving grounds has shown that the new Dueler A/T 694 not only has superior handling on dry, wet and snow compared to the A/T 693, but that it also provides a 20 per cent longer wear life.
The Dueler A/T 694 is launched in 25 sizes and is suitable for a wide range of SUV’s of all major brands.
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest manufacturer of tyres and other products. Tyres account for 80 per cent of Bridgestone Group sales worldwide. The company also manufactures industrial rubber and chemical products, sporting goods, and other diversified products. It sells its tyres and other products in more than 150 nations.
Bridgestone Tyre Service Centres are located at Wadi Kabir, Ghubrah, Ghala, Rusyal, Nizwa, lbri, Sur, Salalah and Sohar. These tyre-care centres are equipped with the most advanced wheel alignment and wheel balancing equipment to ensure that customers get more out of every tyre. Bridgestone tyres are distributed by Towell Auto Centre LLC.
MUSCAT — Bridgestone has unveiled the new 44 Dueler A/T 694, a robust and stylish all-terrain tyre with outstanding wet performance and longer wear life, a press release said.
Replacing the successful Dueler A/T 693 as it nears the end of its life cycle, the new Dueler A/T694 features a completely re-designed tread pattern incorporating Bridgestone’s top wet-grip technology.
According to a company spokesperson, sales of Bridgestone’s 4x4 range has grown by 167 per cent and topped 1 million units a year worldwide. A feature of this strong growth trend is the popularity of all-terrain patterns in the replacement market, reflecting the importance of rugged design to owners of four-wheel drive vehicles.
Bridgestone’s idea behind the Dueler A/T694 was to maintain the capability and appeal of an aggressive all-terrain look — including white lettering on some sizes and an attractive sidewall design — while adding significant improvement to on-road performance.
Applied for the first time on a Bridgestone 4x4 tyre, Shark Skin technology (so called because it resembles the natural riblet on a shark’s skin) reduces flow resistance on the groove walls caused by turbulence. The water, therefore, drains more smoothly and efficiently away from the blocks, cutting down the risk of hydroplaning.
The Dueler A/T 694 has high-density siping, producing better grip with more edges to bite into any surface they are driven on. But the real advantage comes as the tread wears down, when normal tyres would suffer a loss of grip. The A/T 694 has three-dimensional Z-shaped sipes that increase in length as the tread block wears. So the edge effect is maintained, giving consistent urban and off-road performance throughout the tyre’s life. The tread blocks of the Dueler A/T 694 are shaped to equalise the contact pressure distribution over the block area, enhancing overall performance and so reducing the wear rate. Testing on Bridgestone proving grounds has shown that the new Dueler A/T 694 not only has superior handling on dry, wet and snow compared to the A/T 693, but that it also provides a 20 per cent longer wear life.
The Dueler A/T 694 is launched in 25 sizes and is suitable for a wide range of SUV’s of all major brands.
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest manufacturer of tyres and other products. Tyres account for 80 per cent of Bridgestone Group sales worldwide. The company also manufactures industrial rubber and chemical products, sporting goods, and other diversified products. It sells its tyres and other products in more than 150 nations.
Bridgestone Tyre Service Centres are located at Wadi Kabir, Ghubrah, Ghala, Rusyal, Nizwa, lbri, Sur, Salalah and Sohar. These tyre-care centres are equipped with the most advanced wheel alignment and wheel balancing equipment to ensure that customers get more out of every tyre. Bridgestone tyres are distributed by Towell Auto Centre LLC.
© Times of Oman 2004
