Why Jeep Chose the Falken ZIEX CT60 A/S Tire For Its New High-performance Wagoneer S Battery-Electric Crossover Sport Utility Vehicle - And Why We Think It’s a Perfect Fitment

Jeep has selected the Falken Ziex CT60 A/S premium all-season tire for its new Wagoneer S battery-electric performance vehicle. 

Over the past decade, Falken has been the tire brand more and more automakers select for very important new products. Falken has earned OEM fitments on such models as the top-trim Ford Bronco Sport Badlands, the Toyota RVA4 Hybrid Woodlands, and the Mazda CX-50 Meridian. These are all products that the manufacturers created as the stand-out trims in its model lineup. We’ve also found Falken Ziex tires on Subaru Crosstreks. It’s clear that Falken has some secret sauce that makes it the right pick for all of these brands. But why Jeep’s Wagoneer S, and how many trims did Falken nab a spot on?

To find out, we spoke in person with Detroit-based William Coughlin. He’s a Senior Brand Manager in the Jeep Brand’s Product Marketing Division. Presently, he is assigned to the all-new Wagoneer S and the coming Jeep Recon. We met up with Mr. Coughlin at the global headquarters of the New England Motor Press Association in Middleboro, Massachusetts. Jeep and Dodge were kind enough to offer the NEMPA membership a deep dive into all of the technical details related to the new Charger Daytona EV and Wagoneer S EV. Jeep is one of the strongest brands in New England, and we were pleased to host the Stellantis team.

When I first walked around the Wagoneer S, I was struck by how sleek and stylish it looks in person. Images I had seen do not do this midsized utility vehicle any justice. It has unique design elements like the rear wing that jive quite nicely with the front lip wing on the front edge of the hood of the Dodge Charger. Although distinct brands, there is a family resemblance that compliments both nicely. 

Being a heavy battery-electric vehicle with a massive 617 lb-ft of torque on tap, I expected to see large, low-profile tires on the Wagoneer S Launch Edition, and indeed, that is the case. The vehicle sports 235/50R20XL-sized tires, and they are on blackout rims, giving the vehicle a lot of visual punch from the side and three-quarter views. Even at a quick glance, I could see the Falken Ziex CT60 A/S tires complemented the look with an attractive sidewall. On close inspection, the outer tread blocks’ sipes were apparent. This makes sense for a New England vehicle, as sipes help in snow. 

Mr. Coughlin and I engaged in an impromptu Q&A session on the vehicle, with most of my questions being tire-related. Here’s what he told Torque News about how Jeep came to select the Falken Ziex CT60 A/S for the Wagoneer S:

Torque News - Can you tell us how the CT60 A/S earned this OEM fitment?
WC - One of the key parameters for this vehicle was efficiency, range, and rolling resistance. The Falken Ziex CT60 A/S topped the tires under consideration in these critical areas.

Torque News - What other metrics did Jeep use to evaluate the tires for the very powerful Wagoneer S?
WC - I can tell you that Jeep looked at handling and performance and that the Falken Ziex CT60 A/S met or exceeded the company’s targets across the board. 

Torque News - On how many Wagoneer S trims did Jeep opt to fit the Falken Ziex CT60 A/S tire?
WC - Jeep found this tire was the best pick for every trim. 

Although we would have considered it impolite to ask, we suspect that price played a factor as well. In Torque News evaluations, Falken has consistently scored very highly in owner reviews of its tires, while at the same time always being priced well below its peers in a given tire segment. 

If you’d like to read more about the Falken Ziex CT60 A/S, please check out the evaluation and review we conducted using a Toyota Highlander as the test vehicle:

Falken ZIEX CT60 A/S Tire Test - Value, Comfort, and Safety For Crossovers

Falken Ziex CT60 A/S Tire Test Update - Secure Wet Performance, Stable Fuel Economy, Lack of Noise

Falken Ziex CT60 A/S Tire Test Update - Thinking Outside The Box

In our own testing, the Falken Ziex CT60 A/S excelled by offering lower noise levels than its peers, outstanding wet-weather grip, and good fuel economy (efficiency).

Tell us in the comments section below what you think of Jeep’s choice to go with Falken on its newest vehicle. 
 

John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools. 

Falken Ziex CT60 A/S tire on Jeep Wagoneer S images by John Goreham.