Bjorn and I spent the morning of the 26th June at the spectacular ADA training facility near Hartbeespoort dam, attending a press launch by General Tires of their latest addition to their Grabber range, the Grabber Cross A/S. With the popularity of SUV vehicles in SA, particularly ‘Soft Roaders’, General identified the need for a more road-oriented tyre than their current superb Grabber AT3 All-Terrain tyre, which they rate as a 50/50 balance between road and off-road, and their Grabber GT Road tyre. The name of their new tyre hints at its purpose; a tyre suited to SUVs and Crossover vehicles that spend most of their lives on tar but do have occasional dirt road forays. The widespread deterioration of our roads also puts greater demands on tyres than ever before. Enter the Grabber Cross A/S.
After the obligatory early morning coffee, we attended a classroom session where the General Tyres team expanded on the rationale behind the Cross A/S. Lance Williams, General’s Technical Customer Services Manager, gave us a technical overview on the design of the tyre and Ryan Visagie, the Product Communications Manager, explained the positioning and practical application of the tyre in the market. Listening to the technical design aspects of the tyre, which make it perform on road as well as off-road, thicker steel belts than your typical highway spec tyre for strength, a tread pattern for a large footprint, water dispersing qualities and a compound that resists tearing and chunking, it got me thinking.
Tyres are arguably the most critical piece of engineering on your car. Everything else depends on how effectively and efficiently the power can be transformed into motion, yet tyres often, for the average driver, receive the least consideration. Your tyres need replacement, and you pop into your local tyre shop, where the discussion often centres around price. If the shop is worth its salt, it will explain to you the pros and cons of what you should consider given your application, and sell you the most appropriate tyre for your purpose rather than giving you the “we’ve got a special on these Super Slip No Grips” speech.
The General team made me realise that the average motorist is blissfully ignorant of what to consider when fitting new rubber to their car. It literally can be a life-or-death decision. When you understand the amount of research and development that goes into building a tyre for a particular application, then it will change the way you currently think about tyre choice. I was intrigued to see how all the design elements of the new Grabber Cross A/S would perform when put to the test in real-world conditions. With the tech session sorted, we went to the fleet of Grabber Cross A/S shod Ford Territories in Titanium spec, with which we would put the Grabbers to the test.
Bjorn and I did the road drive first. Typical of SA secondary roads, the loop we drove, whilst all on tar, had surfaces of varying quality. Some are beautifully smooth, some a bit rutted and bumpy and the usual transition of occasional ridges and grooves. As to how the tyres coped is perhaps best explained by my reply when asked that question by one of the General team upon our return to ADA. “Let me put it this way, they never made you aware of their presence, in the sense that they dealt with every surface without any fuss or bother or noise whatsoever. There was never a moment when I even considered the tyres over any surface or at any speed. They just did their job perfectly.”
We then swapped cars for the off-road test. I was almost unnerved when I saw the goat track that we were taken on. This was way above the pay grade of what I would consider the off-road capabilities of an 80/20 tyre. To me, what we traversed was more in line with what you would expect from a Grabber AT3. Rain eroded ruts and surfaces varying from typical dirt road to “tweespoor”, and then the kicker, steep loose shale ascents and descents where we locked the Territory in Low and chugged up hill and down dale. I kept my eye on the traction control lights to see when we were experiencing wheelspin on the extremely loose surfaces of the first gear climbs—nothing! The cars just went where they were pointed without any fuss whatsoever. I also need to mention that tyre pressures were kept at Ford’s factory spec, both on and off-road.
We were not just impressed by these new additions to the Grabber family; we were blown away! They perform way above their 80/20 label. Bjorn was so impressed that he mentioned that he was going to suggest that his dad, who loves venturing to weird places with his soft-roader, invest in a set. As a final demo for the day, we watched a Ford Everest shod with Grabber Cross A/S climb a seriously steep low-range incline on ADA’s 4×4 track. To be frank, the Everest and Grabber Cross combo made it a bit of a non-event. The new Grabber Cross A/S not only meets its design parameters, but based on what we experienced, it blows them away! Good job, General! And an honourable mention to the Ford Territory, which carried us everywhere in comfort. They made an excellent test mule for the Grabbers. Thank you, Ford.
For more information, visit: www.generaltire-tyres.com
