New 4x4 tyres from General Tire: GRABBER A/TX and AT3

General Tire, a Continental Tires brand offering specially designed 4x4 tyres, has announced the introduction of the GRABBER A/TX and GRABBER AT3 tyres to the Australian market. For us, the A/TX appeals the most, so let’s start there.

There has been a trend for the last few years of more aggressive All Terrain tyres and the GRABBER A/TX by General Tire looks to be exactly that. Historically, All Terrains have had a balance that favoured on-road driving more than off and their tread patterns typically had tightly packed blocks that wouldn’t evacuate debris particularly well. As rubber and tyre construction technology got better, on-road grip has been maintained while tread blocks have opened up to more closely resemble Mud Terrain tyres. If you look at the tread pattern on the A/TX, that’s what we’re getting — a five-row lug pattern with good angles to cut into mud and decent spacing (stone bumpers) between lugs to evacuate stones.

Here in Australia, we like that. Our outback is typically dry, hard and hot with a lot of loose stones, many of which are bloody sharp. All Terrain tyres tend to do well here but when it rains, our dusty roads can become as slick as ice, so we need open tread blocks to spin that mud free.

The A/TX looks to be an evolution of the AT2, a hugely popular tyre launched in the United States back in 2006. The big differences appear to be in the casing of the A/TX which features a two-ply sidewall that uses proprietary construction tech dubbed DURAGEN Technology. I know what you might be thinking, two-ply is not going to cut it (no pun intended), but the DURAGEN Tech was developed specifically with offroad and all terrain tyres in mind. It strengthens the tyre’s structure, making it more resilient to the kinds of impacts and abrasions common outback.

Both the A/TX and AT3 patterns have a range of sidewall features including large sidewall lugs on the upper sidewall protecting the tyre body from stones, rocks and debris. A series of stacked deflection ribs provide protection to the upper sidewall area by deflecting obstacles away from the tyre body. While the rim protection rib shields the tyre and wheel bead area from damage caused by curb stones and offroad obstacles.

The A/TX also features Comfort Balance Technology, which is claimed to provide a more comfortable, quiet ride on the roads thanks to a tread cushioning system with an acoustic tread pattern. A quick scout online suggests they are a quiet tyre, another important attribute for us and our long, long drives.

Launching alongside the A/TX is the AT3, a more road-bias All Terrain tyre. We’re not saying the AT3 is not up for our conditions but most reviews and comments on it focus on its grip in the snow and its Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake rating. Let’s be honest, not something most Australians consider (or need). If you work in a snow field or on the plains in Kosciuszko National Park, maybe it’s for you. For us, the A/TX looks to be another good option in the more aggressive All Terrain market.

The GRABBER A/TX is available in 13 sizes ranging from LT235/85R16 to LT275/65R20 and the GRABBER AT 3 is available in nine sizes ranging from LT225/75R16 to LT265/65R18 and can now be purchased at many Australian tyre retailers.

To learn more about the A/TX and AT3 head here.

If you want some expert insights on tyres and the differences between the grades, check out Borgy’s Tyre Guide here.

And you can learn more about tyres here.

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