Are Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tyres any good?

Born from humble beginnings supplying tyres to bicycles and carriages, American tyre manufacturer Goodyear recently celebrated its 125th anniversary.

As part of an anniversary event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Drive was invited to sample some of the brand’s latest tyre releases.

RELATED: How much should a set of new tyres cost?

These included ElectricDrive, designed specifically for electric vehicles, Assurance Maxguard for passenger SUVs, Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6s for sports cars, and – arguably the most important for our rugged country – the new Wrangler Duratrac RTs.

So, how did the Wrangler Duratrac RTs fare during our brief testing? And are they worth buying over regular tyres? Read on to find out.

The Duratrac RTs are the latest release from Goodyear's Wrangler off-road tyre sub-range, with RT standing for 'Rugged Terrain'.

Whereas the regular Duratrac tyres are designed to balance off-road use with on-road performance, the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac RTs lean more heavily towards off-road use, with a 70 off-road, 30 on-road percentage split.

They utilise a three-ply construction for enhanced durability and a lower likelihood of getting a flat while off-road, plus the tyre face features more biting edges and solid tread blocks.

The deep tread also extends over the tyre's shoulder and onto the tyre's sidewall for enhanced grip and better rim protection. Goodyear says the tyre boasts a 10 per cent improvement in both wet and dry handling conditions.

For better or worse, tyre looks also play an important role for off-road enthusiasts, and these rugged-terrain tyres certainly play the chunky, rugged part convincingly.

Goodyear as a company is based in Akron, Ohio, in the United States, though the multinational company has tyre manufacturing facilities all around the globe.

Goodyear off-road tyres sold in the Asia-Pacific region are manufactured in Indonesia, Japan, and Malaysia.

The Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac RT tyre is already available in Australia and has a price range between $397 and $607 at Beaurepaires outlets.

The tyre’s price is determined by its size, and other retail outlets offer alternative pricing, so it’s always worth shopping around to find the best price on a set.

Drive was provided an opportunity to sample the new Wrangler Duratrac RTs on a short, purpose-designed off-road course.

Fitted to a Toyota Fortuner, the tyres felt supremely suited to scrabbly gravel mounds and embankments. There were no instances in which the tyres exhibited undue slip or traction loss.

Though our time with the tyre was limited, the Duratrac RTs felt robust and grippy through uphill climbs and short descents.

The additional shoulder tread provides a little extra grip for when the tyre’s contact patch doesn’t have purchase on the ground below.

We weren’t able to drive the tyres on sealed bitumen, but knobbly, blocky tread patterns are often louder than their passenger-tyre counterparts, so be wary of that if you're regularly tackling on-road stints as well as off-roading.