Apollo is looking at catering to the increasing all-terrain market in India and is introducing eight sizes of the new Apterra AT2 in phase one.
Apollo Apterra AT2 for Off-road Enthusiasts
Apollo Tyres introduced the new all-terrain SUV tyres, Apollo Apterra AT2, for Off-road enthusiasts recently. This all-terrain tyre complements Apollo’s existing Apterra range including specialised Highway Luxury (HL), Highway Terrain (HT), High Performance (HP) and All-Terrain (AT) tyres for SUVs. Satish Sharma, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd unveiled the tyre in the presence of members of the press, the company’s business partners and the sales/marketing team.
Designed and developed as a collaborative effort between the two Global Research & Development (R&D) Centres — in Enschede, the Netherlands and in Chennai, India — and a cross-functional team comprising members from R&D, manufacturing, service, business quality and marketing, Apterra AT2 will be produced at the company’s Vadodara unit in Gujarat. With an unmatched On & Off road traction and durability, this tyre has been thoroughly tested in different geographies like South Africa, the US, Middle East, India and SE Asia before being introduced to the market.
The company is looking at catering to the increasing all-terrain market of approximately 15,000 tyres/month in India alone and is introducing eight sizes in phase one, which are targeted towards vehicle like Range Rover Sport , Evoque , Velar , Ford Endeavour, Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero, Mahindra Scorpio, XUV 500, Tata Hexa, Isuzu MU7 , V Cross and others. An additional six sizes of Apollo Apterra AT2 would be added in phase II to cover over 90% of the all-terrain vehicle market.
Commenting on the launch, Sharma said “We are sharpening our focus on the SUV segment in India, with specialised tyres for different terrains and applications, as the SUV vehicle segment is growing faster than passenger cars. The excellent test results, and the global efforts that have gone into developing the Apollo Apterra AT2, gives us the confidence that this tyre will set a new benchmark in the all-terrain tyre space, and will further propel our leadership in the SUV segment.”
Equipped to handle obstacles both on-road and off-road, the Apollo Apterra AT2 is designed to outperform on all terrains. It has a patented tread design with 3D interlocking sipes and a shoulder design with SAW-Tooth technology, which provides a higher level of traction. Triplex casing and high tensile steel belts make the tyre highly durable and impact resistant. The herringbone grooves of the tyre ensure efficient water drainage on wet roads and provide better control during off-roading. The wider tread width provides stability during cornering. Even being an aggressive product for On/Off application the product still conforms to global regulation especially for NVH.
