New and improved all-terrain tire caters to the needs of off-roading enthusiasts.
Adrenaline junkies who attended the 2024 Drive Festival, which took place at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park from September 6-8, had the opportunity to take one of a number of Jeep Wranglers off-roading at the Nokian display.
The Finnish tire brand, well known for their winter tires, was at the event to showcase one of their all-terrain tires, the Outpost nAT, which is the successor to the original Outpost AT.
“We took the Outpost AT design, and made some tweaks to it, based on feedback we had from consumers,” said Steve Bourassa, Director of Products and Pricing, Nokian Tyres. “And over the past year, we have been releasing sizes of the Outpost nAT into the market.”
According to Bourassa, the “n” in “nAT” stand for two things. First, it stands for “new,” since this is a new tire. Second, it stands for “north,” since it was designed for the North American market, and is built here in North America. “We wanted to emphasize the fact that it is manufactured in our facilities in Tennessee,” he added.

New and improved
Bourassa explained what’s actually new about the nAT: “We were able to change some of the bridging between the blocks,” he said. “We actually reduced those a little bit to give the tire a bit more of an aggressive look. The sidewall design is also more aggressive, which makes the tire look better on vehicles.”
Another key feature is the addition of Aramid fibres to the rubber compound. Aramid is used in bullet-resistant vests, and while some tire companies have used layers of Kevlar or Aramid to make the tread area and sidewalls more puncture-resistant, Nokian has taken a different approach.
“We took Aramid cord, cut it into bits, and then we mixed it into our rubber compound,” Bourassa explained. “This helps us build more balanced tires, and it allows us to put the Aramid where we need it most. We added Aramid to the sidewall area, as well as the base compound, which is underneath the tread.”
Bourassa added that, “Aramid brings more mechanical strength to the tire, and it helps not only in off-roading situations, but also when you’re driving down the road and hit a pothole.”
Nokian offers a pothole protection plan on all their tires with Aramid fibres. “If your tire is damaged within the first year of purchase, and it’s not repairable, we’ll replace that tire for free,” Bourassa explained.
On-road / off-road tire
The Outpost nAT isn’t the most aggressive off-roading tire available on the market, but Bourassa said that it wasn’t necessarily engineered to tackle off-road extremes.
“The Outpost nAT does well in a lot of conditions,” he explained. “It is aggressive enough to do well in off-road conditions with mud, sand and gravel, but it’s also designed for everyday driving. It’s comfortable and quiet on pavement, and it has a long mileage warranty. It’s for consumers who want to enjoy daily driving, regardless of the conditions—dry, wet, and snow, because it’s 3PMS certified.”
The Outpost nAT is not Nokian’s first off-road tire, nor is their last. Bourassa hinted that this is a market Nokian intends to pursue more aggressively. “We are investing heavily in R&D,” he said. “It’s an interesting market with some really passionate consumers.”