Sumitomo Encounter HT

UTQG - Uniform Tire Quality Grade

UTQG (Uniform Tire Quality Grade) is made up of three values:treadwear, traction and temperature.

Tread wear is a relative numeric score, based on manufacturer tests, showing how well a tire can be expected to wear compared to other tires. A higher score means a tire could be expected to wear better.

Traction measures the tire's ability to stop a vehicle on wet roads. It doesn't reflect a tire's acceleration, cornering, or hydroplaning performance. Traction grades range from AA (highest)to C (lowest).

Temperature grades the tire'sability to withstand heat build-up, with A being the highest grade and C the lowest.

TREAD TYPE

Tread Type is an important consideration when choosing a tire.There are four main types: Passenger, Highway, All-Terrain andMud-Terrain.

Passenger denotes a tread that is suitable for normal use, a good all-round tread for normal driving.

Highway is a tread type unique to SUV and truck tires. The tread is optimized for normal everyday driving on paved surfaces. These tires can be driven off pavement, but are not ideally suited for off road traction. Highway tread patterns deliver a quiet ride.

For light trucks and specialty vehicles, All-Terraintread types provide better off-road traction than standard highway truck tires. There more aggressive tread tends to be less quiet on paved roads. All Terrain tires are suitable for everyday use.

Mud-Terrain treads are specifically designed with wider tread blocks and higher void ratios to gain traction in off-road conditions. Mud Terrain tires can generate higher noise levels and tend to carry lower mileage warranties the another tread designs.

TIRE CLASS

Tire Class reflects how the tire will be used. There are four major categories: All-Season, Max Performance, Summer-Only andWinter-Use.

All-Season tires are suitable for year-round driving in all weather conditions.

Summer-Only & Max Performance tires are specifically designed for high-performance driving. Tire compound, tread design and speed ratings all combine to hug the road and maintain grip. Summer tires by nature are not ideal for winter driving due to lack of siding to grip winter roads.

Winter-Use tires have tread compounds and patterns that are specially designed for grip on s nowy or icyroad surfaces. They are not suitable for year-round use. The rubber compound used will wear more quickly on dry, summer roads. It is recommended that winter tires are fitted as a complete set to avoid potential handling issues.