Kumho has just launched a new tire aimed at drivers who focus on more rugged terrain. The Kumho Road Venture R/T is the brand’s first in that growing segment. The company says the tire will deliver a long service life, exceptional off-road performance, and an on-road experience that’s comfortable for the segment.
Rugged terrain tires are a sort of middle ground between mud tires and all-terrain tires. The idea is to give you a bit more mud-terrain tire traction, with big aggressive tread blocks and open voids, but with less of an on-road compromise.
They’re louder than the best A/Ts, and not as good in the snow. But if you’re headed down rough gravel and rocky roads on the regular instead of sticking to pavement, this is for you. “Tough yet comfortable” is how Kumho describes the new Road Venture.
Kumho Road Venture R/T Joins a Newish Segment
The Kumho Road Venture R/T delivers that off-road performance thanks to its aggressive tread, with big and chunky sidewall lugs and plenty of side biters in between the shoulder blocks. The blocks are staggered in height, too, which the company says helps increase traction off-road.
Other fun but functional tread details include the grooves between the tread blocks. Kumho calls it “ground crack shape” because it looks like a dry lakebed. But the grooves also help throw out stones.
Kumho’s S-SBR — that’s short for “solution styrene butadiene rubber,” and it helps with wet traction and rolling resistance — tire compound has “high-structure” carbon black that is better linked for improved wear and chip resistance.
Don’t worry about the chemistry; the result is that the Road Venture R/T comes with a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is impressive in this category.
On the road, Kumho says the tire’s interlocking center tread blocks help improve straight-line stability. The locking blocks give you more rigidity, so there’s less squirreliness on the highway. Kumho also uses varied angles for the tread pattern to cut down on road noise.
Recommended for Big Trucks and SUVs
Kumho recommends the Road Venture R/T for vehicles like Ford, Chevy, and GMC full-sized trucks from half-ton to 1-ton sizes. It also suggests the tire for Ford Bronco, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Tacoma, and even Toyota Land Cruiser applications.
The Kumho Road Venture R/T will go on sale in September. It will initially be available in 27 sizes ranging from 17- to 22-inch wheel diameters. The 17 -and 18-inch tires go up to 35 inches, and 20- and 22-inch sizes will include a 37-inch tall version. More sizes are scheduled for 2026, and pricing has not yet been released.
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