The Marshal I'Zen RV KC15 winter non-studded passenger tire owes its appearance to the popularity of the same-named model from the South Korean Kumho, of which it is an exact copy. The tire, which appeared back in 2008, proved to be so successful that it continues to be produced today, although under a different brand, now owned by the South Korean tire giant.
Like the original version, this model is still designed for the widest range of modern SUVs, crossovers, and other passenger cars with increased cross-country capability. Excellent applicability is ensured by a wide range of sizes, which includes several dozen tire sizes for wheels with a rim diameter from 16 to 19 inches.
Excellent traction properties in the longitudinal direction
The excellent performance on any winter surfaces is largely ensured by the original asymmetric directional tread pattern. At the same time, its design cannot be called aggressive, which is a mistake made by most famous brands today. Its key feature is the presence of a large number of very long traction edges, located predominantly transversely to the direction of movement. This design difference allows the tire to demonstrate excellent traction properties during acceleration and braking.
Excellent directional stability
Among other advantages of this model, it is necessary to note the excellent directional stability. It is achieved due to the 5-rib scheme of arrangement of all tread elements. At the same time, all longitudinal ribs, due to their design features, have high deformation resistance. This allows the tire to demonstrate excellent stability against lateral skidding.
Increased lamellation density
Since this tire is studded, the absence of studs has been compensated by a significant increase in traction edges. The overwhelming majority of them are formed not by separate tread blocks, as it might seem at first glance, but by numerous wavy lamellas. These elements, when in contact with the surface of an icy or snowy road, form an innumerable number of additional traction edges. Their sharp edges easily penetrate the water film on the surface of the ice, allowing the tire to feel confident even on such slippery surfaces.
Excellent handling on asphalt
Despite the fact that the Marshal I Zen RV KC15 is designed for operation on winter roads, its development paid considerable attention to ensuring maximum traction properties on cleared asphalt. The complex task was partly solved by increasing the size of the tread blocks. However, the main contribution to the "struggle" was made by the above-mentioned lamellas, or rather the wavy shape of their walls. It allows them to be fixed more tightly between themselves when the lamellas are opened, which, in turn, leads to a significant increase in the stiffness of the blocks, and, consequently, to a significant improvement in handling on asphalt.
Optimized rubber compound
A significant part of the advantages of this model is ensured not only by the features of the asymmetric tread pattern design but also by the physical properties of the tread rubber compound. The inclusion of modern polymeric compounds and highly dispersed silicon-containing components in its composition made it possible to significantly improve most of the main operational qualities of the tire. First of all, this is the grip on wet and snowy roads, which, thanks to the rubber compound, has become very reliable. It is also impossible not to mention a number of other characteristics, ranging from rolling resistance to resistance to punctures, cuts, abrasive and uneven wear.
Another significant advantage that was achieved due to the rubber compound is elasticity. The tread does not become "hard" even at very low temperatures, which gives it excellent traction properties even in the most unfavorable environmental conditions.
Main features of the Marshal I Zen RV KC15 tire
- the tire is not a modification of the model for conventional passenger cars, but was specifically designed for SUVs and crossovers;
- the asymmetric directional tread pattern, due to its original design, has excellent performance on any winter roads;
- the 5-rib scheme of arrangement of tread elements allows the tire to maintain excellent stability regardless of the characteristics of the road surface;
- excellent traction even on bare ice is achieved due to the innumerable number of traction edges formed by numerous lamellas;
- excellent traction properties in the longitudinal direction are ensured by a large number of very long transverse traction edges formed by tread blocks.
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