The Marshal KL16 Road Venture ST summer light truck tire cannot be called a novelty, as it has been produced for several years under the brand of the well-known South Korean manufacturer Kumho. However, since the characteristics of this model have proven to be quite relevant even in our time, the production equipment was transferred to the company Marshal, which has recently become the property of the South Korean tire giant. This is a fairly common practice that almost all leading global brands resort to.
This tire was created specifically for SUVs, crossovers, and other light vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive transmission. However, unlike many other models of similar purpose, its application is limited exclusively to roads with a solid surface. This is unequivocally hinted at by the symmetrical non-directional tread pattern with too small a distance between the tread elements.
The tread pattern, as is typical for a highway tire, has two functional zones - central and lateral. In the central part of the Marshal KL16 tread, there are three longitudinal ribs, the high stiffness of which is ensured by their solid design. At the same time, the rib located in the very center of the tread is equipped with special S-shaped lamellas. When in contact with the road surface, the walls of these tread elements tightly close between themselves, which significantly increases the stiffness of the rib. To a large extent, thanks to this technical solution, this tire demonstrates excellent directional stability even at very high speeds. Indirect confirmation of this is the speed indices assigned to it - from S to H.
The other two ribs are divided into separate rectangular blocks by transverse drainage grooves, which literally abound with numerous edges and sharp corners. At the same time, the walls of these blocks have a 2-tier structure, which ensures a lower noise level.
The design of the shoulder zones of the tread also found room for a number of interesting technical solutions. In particular, it is worth noting the block structure of this part of the tread. Thanks to the large number of transverse drainage grooves, each of the shoulder zones is a separate row of blocks. The presence of a multitude of sharp edges in this part of the tread, located at a right angle to the axis of rotation of the wheel, made it possible to significantly reduce the braking distance, especially on surfaces with a low coefficient of friction. In addition, it is impossible not to note the presence of straight lamellas on the surface of these blocks. These tread elements are designed to increase the efficiency of the drainage system. The principle of their operation is quite simple and practically completely analogous to the operation of car windshield wipers. I.e., these lamellas, when in contact with a wet road, wipe the moisture from its surface, thereby ensuring more reliable contact with a wet road.
However, these lamellas are only a supplement to the drainage system, in which the main role is played by four longitudinal grooves. Their dimensions allow them to accommodate a fairly large volume of water, which is then discharged outward through numerous transverse grooves.
The main features of the Marshal KL16 Road Venture ST tire
- A symmetrical non-directional tread pattern is best suited exclusively for roads with a solid surface;
- Special lamellas in the shoulder zones of the tread, like car windshield wipers, "wipe" moisture from the road, ensuring more reliable contact with a wet surface;
- Tread blocks located in the shoulder zones form a multitude of transverse edges of adhesion, thanks to which high braking efficiency is achieved;
- Three rigid longitudinal ribs in the central part of the tread, which provides excellent directional stability and excellent handling;
- An effective drainage system ensures excellent resistance to aquaplaning even in the most unfavorable conditions;
- The zigzag edges of the two extreme longitudinal grooves allow significantly reducing the noise level, thereby ensuring a higher driving comfort.
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