금호타이어 SUV용 프리미엄 타이어 - 시티벤쳐 (CITY VENTURE) -2번째글..

 정말 오랜만에 금호타이어에서 SUV용 타이어가 출시됐습니다.
 이전글 ( 2011/09/06 - [자동차, 스쿠터 정비] - 금호타이어 신제품 City Venture Comfort# (KL33) - SUV 전용 )을 먼저 보세용..

기존에 OE급 타이어를 제외하고는 로드벤쳐 APT와 엑스타 DX suv, 엑스타 X3 외에는 선택할 만한 타이어가 없던 금호인지라.. (엑스타 ST 와 로드벤쳐 MT 도 있습니다만... 이 두 종류는 시내 주행용 타이어로 보기엔 좀 무리가 있습니다...)

도심 주행용 프리미엄 타이어로 출시되었고, 기존의 APT 보다는 노면 소음면에서 유리한 제품입니다.
X3처럼 과격한 이미지도 아니고, APT처럼 딱딱한 이미지도 아닌, 중용(?)의 이미지이네요..

우선 카다록 이미지입니다.

뭐, 자세한 설명은 금호타이어 홈페이지 ( http://www.kumhotire.co.kr/tire/detail/basic_detail.jsp?prdt_id=295 ) 에서 확인하시고...

엊그제 매장에 입고된 시티벤쳐 235/60R16 타이어 사진을 올립니다..

라벨입니다. 기존의 가로형 라벨 디자인에서 신제품들은 세로형 라벨 디자인으로 바뀌었습니다.
차량에 장착되면 버려질 라벨이지만.. 신경쓴 모습이 보입니다.
(라벨에서 신경써서 보실 부분은, 타이어 규격과, 아래에 보이는 AS 6년 보증 표시입니다. 물론, 작은 글씨도 중요하긴 하지만.. 작은 글씨는 타이어 장착시 주의사항입니다. 작업자들이 주의해서 읽어야하는 부분이죠. 그리고, 장착 후 소비자께 고지해야 하는 부분에 대해서도 있고요.. - AS기간과 적용범위, 최대 공기압 이상 공기압 주입 금지 등등..)

사이드 월의 시티벤쳐 로고 부분입니다. 음각으로 새겨져 있고.. 오른쪽에 M+S 마크도 보입니다.
4계절용 타이어라는 거죠..

사이드월의 전체 디자인입니다..

트레드면 입니다. 센터블론에 CITY VENTURE 글자가 세겨져 있습니다.
미세한 부분이지만, 고급스러워보이는 디자인에 일조를 하고 있네요.

그리고, 마지막으로 UTQG 마크 부분입니다.
아쉽게도.. 공란입니다. 흠.. 추후 마킹예정인지, 매장에 입고된 타이어가 샘플타이어라서 그런건지.. 정확한 것은 알게되는대로 수정 포스팅하도록 하겠습니다.

* UTQG 마크란..

Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) Standards

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Uniform Tire Quality Grade Standards (UTQG) were originated to provide consumers with useful information to help them purchase tires based on their relative treadwear, traction and temperature capabilities. While it is required by law for most passenger car tires sold in the United States, it is not required for deep treaded light truck tires, winter/snow tires, temporary spare tires, trailer tires, tires under 12” in diameter and other select tires.

When looking at UTQG ratings it is important to realize that the Department of Transportation does not conduct the tests. The grades are assigned by the tire manufacturers based on their test results or those conducted by an independent testing company they have hired. The NHTSA has the right to inspect the tire manufacturer's data and can fine them if inconsistencies are found. While most new tire lines have their grades established when they are introduced, they are allowed a 6-month grace period to allow the tire manufacturer to test actual production tires. Once a grade is assigned it must be branded on the tire's upper sidewall and printed on its label.

Unfortunately, the rating that is of the most interest to consumers is the one that appears to be the least consistent. While the Treadwear Grade was originally intended to be assigned purely scientifically, it has also become a marketing tool used by manufacturers to help position and promote their tires.

Treadwear Grades

UTQG Treadwear Grades are based on actual road use in which the test tire is run in a vehicle convoy along with standardized Course Monitoring Tires. The vehicle repeatedly runs a prescribed 400-mile test loop in West Texas for a total of 7,200 miles. The vehicle can have its alignment set, air pressure checked and tires rotated every 800 miles. The test tire's and the Monitoring Tire's wear are measured during and at the conclusion of the test. The tire manufacturers then assign a Treadwear Grade based on the observed wear rates. The Course Monitoring Tire is assigned a grade and the test tire receives a grade indicating its relative treadwear. A grade of 100 would indicate that the tire tread would last as long as the test tire, 200 would indicate the tread would last twice as long, 300 would indicate three times as long, etc.

The problem with UTQG Treadwear Grades is that they are open to some interpretation on the part of the tire manufacturer because they are assigned after the tire has only experienced a little treadwear as it runs the 7,200 miles. This means that the tire manufacturers need to extrapolate their raw wear data when they are assigning Treadwear Grades, and that their grades can to some extent reflect how conservative or optimistic their marketing department is. Typically, comparing the Treadwear Grades of tire lines within a single brand is somewhat helpful, while attempting to compare the grades between different brands is not as helpful.

Traction Grades

UTQG Traction Grades are based on the tire's straight line wet coefficient of traction as the tire skids across the specified test surfaces. The UTQG traction test does not evaluate dry braking, dry cornering, wet cornering, or high speed hydroplaning resistance.

The Traction Grade is determined by installing properly inflated test tires on the instrumented axle of a "skid trailer." The skid trailer is pulled behind a truck at a constant 40 mph over wet asphalt and wet concrete test surfaces. Its brakes are momentarily locked and the axle sensors measure the tire's coefficient of friction (braking g forces) as it slides. Since this test evaluates a sliding tire at a constant 40 mph, it places more emphasis on the tire's tread compound and less emphasis on its tread design.

In 1997, the UTQG Traction Grades were revised to provide a new category of AA for the highest performing tires in addition to the earlier A, B and C grades. Previously the A grade had been the highest available and was awarded to tires that offered wet coefficients of traction above 0.47 g on asphalt and 0.35 g on concrete. Today the grades and their traction coefficients are as follows:

Traction Grades	Asphalt g force	Concrete g force
AA	Above 0.54	0.41
A	Above 0.47	0.35
B	Above 0.38	0.26
C	Less Than 0.38	0.26

Unfortunately the immediate value of this change to tire buyers will be limited. Use of the AA grade will first be seen on new tires that are introduced after the standard was enacted and will then appear later on tires that have had the required wet traction all along, but were introduced when the single A was the highest available grade.

Temperature (Resistance) Grades

The UTQG Temperature Grade indicates the extent to which heat is generated/ or dissipated by a tire. If the tire is unable to dissipate the heat effectively or if the tire is unable to resist the destructive effects of heat buildup, its ability to run at high speeds is reduced. The grade is established by measuring a loaded tire's ability to operate at high speeds without failure by running an inflated test tire against a large diameter high-speed laboratory test wheel.

Temperature Grades	Speeds in mph
A	Over 115
B	Between 100 to 115
C	Between 85 to 100

Every tire sold in the United States must be capable of earning a "C" rating which indicates the ability to withstand 85 mph speeds. While there are numerous detail differences, this laboratory test is similar in nature to those used to confirm a tire's speed ratings.

Unfortunately for all of the money spent to test, brand and label the tires sold in the United States, the Uniform Tire Quality Grade Standards have not fully met their original goal of clearly informing consumers about the capabilities of their tires. Maybe it's because tires are so complex and their uses can be so varied, that the grades don't always reflect their actual performance in real world use.



ㅋㅋ 영문자료입니다..
간단히 말하면, 북미수출용 타이어는 UTQG 마크를 해야 하고, 이 UTQG에는 트레드웨어, 견인력, 발열성 등의 3항목의 수치를 테스트하여서 기재해야 합니다.
일반적으로 트레드웨어는 100이 미운수국 기준이고, 이 기준 대비 얼마나 마모성능이 되는지에 따라서 상대 수치로 표시합니다. 즉 기준치보다 2배 오래 가면 200, 3배면 300 이런 식입니다.
견인력은 AA, A, B, C 등급이 있고, 제동, 견인 성능이 좋을 수록 AA에 쪽 등급입니다. 테스트 항목과 기준은 위 영문을 보시면 되겠습니다.. (ㅎㅎ 죄송..  직진로의 브레이크 테스트로 결정됩니다. 코너링시 날라가는 부분과는 무관합니다.)
발열성은 A, B, C 등급이고, C 등급이 가장 기본이 되는 기준점으로 보시면 됩니다. 마찬가지로, 자세한 내용은 위 영문 자료를 참고하세요...

결론. 북미 수출 하지 않는 타이어는 UTQG 마크를 테스트하고 찍을 이유가 없습니다...