To say that the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 is long-awaited is an understatement. That’s because its predecessor – the legendary all-terrain (AT) tyre that is the KO2 – has been around for a decade now. As with landmark cars, it’s difficult to replace an icon.
But nothing goes on forever without improvement, and with the new KO3, BFG has retained the KO2’s strong points and improved on the areas that rivals have caught up on. BFG recently organised a hands-on preview event for the Asia Pacific region in Brisbane, where the new tyre was fitted on a range of one-tonne pick-up trucks and given a workout at Sirromet, a vineyard and event venue south-east of Australia’s third-most populous city.
BFG summed up the KO3’s improvements into 3Ts – toughness, traction and treadwear. For toughness, the KO3 features CoreGard Technology and Advanced Deflection Design for enhanced sidewall toughness. Great traction is provided by the updated serrated shoulder design and mud-phobic bars for better mud traction.
Last but certainly not least (because the KO2 isn’t really known for longevity) is treadwear. BFG developed a new tread compound for greater durability and longevity, even on gravel roads, plus optimised interlocking tread elements for even wear over the long haul.
There were three driving workshops that were designed to show off the KO3’s strengths, as much as possible for a one-day event. In ‘Toughness Built to Overcome’ we drove in an off-road track consisting of shale hills, water ruts, rock gardens and slippery slopes. I was told by the instructor that scenic Sirromet no longer produces wine on this site, which is a popular place for truck and 4×4 launches.
In ‘Traction & Treadwear’, they showcased the KO3’s durability and performance via dirt braking, mud acceleration and accelerated treadwear.
Finally, ‘All-Terrain On-Road & Off-Road’ saw us driving on gravel and a short section on tarmac. The public road section was short (and by far the least fun of the exercises); still it was useful to demonstrate the much-improved on-road manners of the KO3.
The KO2 – and all-terrain tyres in general – isn’t very quiet on tarmac but the KO3 is pretty civilised – I expected and would’ve gladly accepted a bit of hum on-road considering its aggressive tread pattern (it’s a really macho-looking tyre, and for the expected price premium, I’d shamelessly go for white lettering) and off-road capabilities, but the KO3 truly surprised in this area.
We then turned off the asphalt into an off-road route to tackle some mild off-roading, water crossings and rough terrain.
Honestly, this was ‘nothing’ for our Ford Ranger and the BFG KO3 after the earlier ‘toughness’ exercise, but my instructor for this leg (an 18-year old girl who legally had to display a P sticker, but races open-wheel Formula cars!) explained that this is a simulation of what a typical AT tyre owner would do – drive to a campsite that’s still quite accessible – as opposed to hardcore off-roading. Makes perfect sense, rather like the KO3.
With the tagline ‘Legendary Toughness. Made Tougher’, the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 will be launched in our region in September and will be available in Malaysia from October. This time around, BFG’s AT tyre will be made in Thailand for our part of the world, covering popular sizes for trucks and SUVs in Asia.
More on the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 closer to its local launch date.
GALLERY: BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 regional launch in Brisbane
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