General Tire Grabber AT3 and X3 - Rubber for the Roughest Stuff

By Lawrence Minnie

Many motorists don’t think twice about their wheels. More often than not, when the time comes to replace them, they just re-shoe them with new versions of whatever was factory-fitted.

General Tire South Africa have just launched their new range of AT3 and X3 tyres for all-terrain and heavy-duty 4x4s. General Tire SA is a brand that falls under the Continental name in South Africa, and have been making tyres since longer than they care to mention (1915, actually), so they know a bit about rubber!

It goes without saying that it would be quite difficult to test these new tyres without the appropriate vehicles, and Fiat Chrysler Auto South Africa brought out a fleet of 2.8 CRD Jeep Wrangler Unlimiteds, shod with the 80:20 Mud and Rock X3 Grabber tyres, and a couple of automatic 2.4 D-iD 4x4 Fiat Fullbacks, fitted with AT3 50:50 all-terrain Grabbers. With our vehicles prepped and loaded and a promise of testing both vehicles in an array of operating conditions, we hit the road.

With rain pelting down on the roof of the Jeep Wrangler, we drove from the city towards the mountainous areas in the Worcester district. The X3 Grabber, which is ideally suited for mud and rocky terrain, handled the wet tar roads quite well.

Being an 80:20 bias with a heavy tread pattern, it had the expected road noise but much less than we anticipated. A long stretch of gravel road was traversed at speed before we handed over the Jeep to other media members, and took over the Fiat Fullback LX auto (R499 000).

The Fiat Fullback was a surprise drive with almost everyone commenting on how much better the vehicle is than the 2.5-litre version released last year. Engines aside, the AT3 tyres surprised us as well. The gravel road gave way to slick tarmac and promptly alternated between the two for kilometers on end. The AT3 tyres covered the distance with barely a slip, and were as quiet on tar as an average SUV-tyre.

Our destination loomed ahead: Klipbokkop Nature Reserve, home of the General Tire Adventure Academy, where, as they like to say, ‘anywhere is possible’. After an in-depth technical presentation and a better understanding of what the new AT3 and X3 Grabber tyres were truly capable of, we were back behind the (steering) wheel to put the rubber to the test.

Our first challenge was to take the Fullback across a lake of soft sand. The dune driving proved taxing with all the twists, turns and blind drop-offs, but the AT3s held up nicely without a single vehicle getting bogged down in the super-soft sand. The tyre construction and close groove tread-pattern ensured that the tyre cut through the loose sand until it found traction in the lower layers, and drove out loose sand, dust and debris. After a few hours in the sand and feeling suitably Bedouin, we headed back to base and switched out vehicles. It was time for the rough stuff!

The Jeep Wranglers (from R731 900 for the 2.8CRD Sahara) definitely looked the part, as the X3 is a very aggressive- looking tyre with chunky sidewall lugs and a heavy tread-pattern designed for clinging to rocks and clawing through mud - and that is exactly what we did. Our first excursion saw us drop down into an old quarry and through a simulated river bed of rocks, and then climb straight out to traverse an extremely steep hill, over jagged slate and loose gravel.

Looping at the top and descending back the way we came up, we turned at the bottom and dropped down into another small quarry site, this time filled with slick, clay-like mud with the odour of two-week-old gym socks! The X3 tyres simply cut through the mud and trawled the Wrangler straight out the other side, splattering the sides in a lovely coat of brown goo.

The final challenge of the day was 30-metre climb through deeply rutted sand. This proved to be the exercise that had more than a few drivers sweating, but proved not to be that bad after all. The Wrangler, with its X3 Grabber tyres, was up for the job. With a hop, skip and more than a few jumps, the convoy made its way up and over the hill and back to base, for a hot shower and a few well-deserved sundowners.

Watching the sun set over the Brandvlei Dam is a special occasion and the test drivers and the crew from General Tire SA celebrated an excellent day out and a successful launch of a great new product. Designed in Germany, produced in the USA and manufactured here in sunny South Africa, the General Tire AT3 and X3 should definitely be on your shopping list when it comes time to replace your 4x4 or SUV-tyres.  Visit http://www.generaltire.co.za/car to match the right AT3 or X3 tyre to your specific vehicle.