Kia Sportage 2023 Owner's Manual page 471

Maintenance
4. Tire ply composition and mate-
rial
The number of layers or plies of rub-
ber- coated fabric in the tire. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate
the materials in the tire, which
include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others. The letter "R" means radial
ply construction; the letter "D"
means diagonal or bias ply con-
struction; and the letter "B" means
belted-bias ply construction.
5. Maximum Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maxi-
mum inflation pressure. Refer to
"Certification label" on page 5-184
recommended inflation pressure.
6. Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
7. Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width.
For example:
僅 Treadwear 200
僅 Traction AA
僅 Temperature A
Tires degrade over time, even when
they are not being used. Regardless
of the remaining tread, we recom-
mend that tires be replaced after
approximately six (6) years of nor-
mal service. Heat caused by hot cli-
mate or frequent high loading
conditions can accelerate the aging
process.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified
government test course. For exam-
ple, a tire graded 150 would wear
one-and-a-half times (1½) as well on
the government course as a tire
for
graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use. Performance may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
These grades are molded on the
side-walls of passenger vehicle tires.
The tires available as standard or
optional equipment on your vehicle
may vary with respect to grade.
Traction - AA, A, B & C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spec-
ified government test surfaces of
Tires and wheels
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