Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) Car Tyres
An All-Terrain SUV Tyre built for Rough Roads, Highway Touring, and Dependable Off-Road Traction
The Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) is designed for SUV owners who regularly drive on mixed terrain rather than staying limited to smooth city roads and highways.
Most SUVs in India are driven on highways, broken rural roads, hill routes, gravel patches, construction zones, and occasional off-road trails. On such varying surfaces, regular highway tyres may find it difficult to maintain grip and durability. Under those conditions, drivers usually need a tyre that can maintain traction on loose surfaces while remaining stable and comfortable during long highway drives.
The Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) sits exactly in that middle ground. The tyre focuses on balancing all-terrain capability with daily usability instead of becoming an overly aggressive mud-terrain setup.
Drivers travelling through areas like Ladakh, Spiti, Rajasthan desert routes, Coorg trails, or monsoon-heavy rural roads frequently need tyres that can handle mud, slush, gravel, and uneven terrain without sacrificing highway confidence.
The Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) is developed around those conditions. The tread and construction are designed to prioritise traction, durability, steering stability, and puncture resistance for mixed-terrain use.
Product Overview
The Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R17 features a rugged all-terrain tread and reinforced construction, made for both on-road and off-road driving conditions.
The tyre features a Triplex Casing Construction combined with a Patented Polymer Blend Compound. Apollo also integrates its DPF Technology into the compound and casing layout to improve durability and puncture resistance across rough terrain.
The tread uses Herringbone Grooves with a wider tread layout. The groove structure improves steering response and stability while driving across highways, gravel roads, and uneven surfaces.
Apollo has also developed a Patented Multi-Directional Tread Design that improves traction on mud, slush, sand, and loose surfaces.
The shoulder area uses Saw-Tooth Shoulder Technology, which improves traction while driving through muddy terrain and softer surfaces.
The tread additionally features wider shoulder grooves and cross grooves extending from the centre section towards the outer edges. The groove layout improves water and slush drainage during wet driving conditions.
Apollo also uses a wider contact patch that improves dry-road grip and stability throughout highway driving. The radial construction and tyre contour are tuned to improve comfort and vehicle stability across rough terrain and broken roads.
Overall, the Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) focuses on balancing off-road capability, puncture resistance, and stable highway behaviour for SUV owners who regularly drive across changing terrain.
Performance and Key Features
The Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) behaves differently depending on the terrain underneath.
1. Dry Performance The wider contact patch maintains stronger road contact during dry highway driving conditions. Pressure spreads more uniformly across the tread surface, helping the SUV feel planted during long-distance travel.
While driving on highways around Jaipur, Ahmedabad, or Delhi, the tyre retains steady straight-line behaviour even at sustained cruising speeds. The tread also provides grip in wider highway curves and overtaking situations, where larger SUVs naturally place more load on the tyres.
Unlike aggressive mud-terrain tyres that can at times feel unstable on highways, the Apterra AT2 maintains a calmer, more balanced road feel in everyday driving.
2. Braking Performance The tread layout maintains traction during braking by distributing braking load more consistently across the contact patch. During sudden braking on highways or uneven roads, the SUV slows down progressively without feeling excessively loose or unstable.
The wider grooves and tread block arrangement also support maintaining grip on gravel surfaces and loose terrain, where braking behaviour is usually unpredictable.
3. Highway Stability The Herringbone Groove Design improves steering stability as highway speeds increase.
Even while driving over expansion joints, patchwork repairs, and uneven highway sections commonly found on Indian roads, the SUV maintains a composed and predictable driving feel.
The wider tread layout also improves upright stability throughout the course of long-distance touring. Drivers travelling regularly between cities with passengers, luggage, or camping equipment will notice that the tyre continues to feel balanced during continuous highway use.
4. Handling and Steering Response The Herringbone Grooves improve steering response during lane changes and directional movement by maintaining more stable tread contact with the road surface.
While cornering through flyovers or moving along uneven hill roads, the steering continues to feel connected without becoming excessively sharp or nervous. The tread layout balances highway steering confidence with off-road flexibility, rather instead of concentrating solely on aggressive, sporty handling.
For larger SUVs used on mixed terrain, the steering behaviour seems natural and confidence-inspiring in everyday use.
5. Wet Performance and Aqua Planing Resistance The wider shoulder grooves and cross grooves improve water drainage during rainy driving conditions.
During monsoon highway driving or waterlogged roads, the tread channels water and slush away from the contact patch more effectively.
Apollo also focuses on improving aqua planing resistance through the groove design and tread layout. The tyre maintains stronger surface contact during wet highway driving, rather than floating excessively over standing water.
This becomes especially useful in cities like Mumbai, Kochi, and Chennai, where highways and internal roads can remain waterlogged during heavy rainfall. The tread also maintains grip on wet gravel and muddy surfaces where regular highway tyres usually struggle.
6. Off-Road Traction The Multi-Directional Tread Design and Saw-Tooth Shoulder Technology focus heavily on loose-surface traction. While driving through mud, slush, gravel, sand, and rocky terrain, the tread continues to find grip on uneven surfaces rather than slip excessively.
The shoulder blocks dig into softer terrain more successfully during off-road driving conditions.
Drivers travelling on mountain trails, rural roads, or desert routes will appreciate the better traction in difficult terrain. Unlike highway-focused SUV tyres, the Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) remains usable once the road surface disappears completely.
7. Durability and Puncture Resistance The Triplex Casing Construction and Patented Polymer Blend Compound improve resistance against punctures and tread damage across rough terrain.
Sharp gravel, broken surfaces, rocky roads, and rough construction zones become less likely to damage the tyre structure during regular usage. The DPF Technology also improves durability across mixed terrain, where tyres usually face greater stress levels.
SUV owners travelling regularly on rough rural roads or off-road trails will appreciate the stronger casing durability over the long term. The tread compound also resists uneven wear more effectively during mixed highway and off-road usage.
8. Ride Comfort and Everyday Road Behaviour Even with its aggressive all-terrain setup, the Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) maintains a reasonably balanced ride comfort in regular driving conditions.
The tyre absorbs smaller road shocks and uneven surfaces more effectively than many hardcore off-road tyres. Broken roads, potholes, and patchwork sections of the highway remain manageable during long-distance travel.
The radial construction also improves geometric stability when driving over rough surfaces, helping the SUV feel more composed during mixed-terrain use.
For SUV owners who use one vehicle for both touring and rough-road travel, the balance between comfort and capability is one of the tyres strengths.
Ideal Usage and Who Should Buy
The Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) suits SUV owners who regularly combine highway driving with rough-road and off-road travel.
It works especially well for:
- Adventure touring
- Mountain and rural road driving
- Gravel, mud, and slush conditions
- Long-distance SUV travel
- Drivers who regularly face broken roads
- Mixed highway and off-road usage
It may not suit:
- Pure city-only driving
- Drivers prioritising ultra-quiet cabin comfort
- Aggressive sporty SUV driving
For SUV owners who travel frequently over changing terrain and variable road conditions, the tyre fits that role naturally.
Vehicle Compatibility and Fitment
The Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) is commonly compatible with certain premium SUVs and crossovers that use 17-inch wheel setups.
Typical compatibility includes:
- Mahindra XUV500 (selected variants)
- Mahindra Scorpio (selected variants)
- Audi Q5 (older selected variants)
- Volvo XC60 (selected variants)
- Tata Aria
- Chevrolet Captiva
- Tata Harrier (selected variants)
Note: Depending on the variant and manufacturer specifications, the Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) may also be used on other car models with similar wheel configurations.
Before purchasing, always confirm that 235/65 R 17 matches your vehicles recommended tyre size.
Pros and Cons
Now lets talk about a few of the pros and cons of the Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL).
Pros
- Strong all-terrain traction on mud, sand, and gravel
- Better puncture resistance from Triplex Casing Construction
- Stable highway behaviour for an all-terrain tyre
- Good water and slush drainage during monsoon driving
- Balanced comfort during rough-road usage
Cons
- Road noise is higher than highway touring tyres
- Steering feels softer than performance SUV tyres
- Fuel efficiency may be reduced slightly because of the aggressive tread design
Final Verdict
The Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) is designed primarily for SUV owners who regularly travel on highways, rough roads, gravel, and off-road routes.
Triplex Casing Construction and DPF Technology improve durability and puncture resistance, while the Multi-Directional Tread Design and Saw-Tooth Shoulder Technology strengthen traction over mud, slush, and loose terrain. Herringbone Grooves also improve highway stability and steering control during long-distance travel.
For drivers looking for a capable all-terrain SUV tyre that provides a balance of highway comfort with dependable off-road traction, the Apterra AT2 delivers a practical, well-rounded setup for Indian driving conditions.
FAQs
1. Is the Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) suitable for highway driving?
Yes, the tyre balances off-road capability with stable highway behaviour. Long-distance touring remains comfortable and predictable during sustained highway speeds.
2. How does the Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) perform in mud and gravel?
The Multi-Directional Tread Design and Saw-Tooth Shoulder Technology boost traction on loose surfaces such as mud, slush, gravel, and sand.
3. Does the Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) resist punctures well?
Yes, the Triplex Casing Construction and Patented Polymer Blend Compound improve durability and puncture resistance across rough terrain.
4. Is the Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) noisy on highways?
Road noise is slightly higher than with pure highway-terrain tyres due to the aggressive all-terrain tread pattern, although everyday highway usability remains comfortable.
5. Can the Apollo Apterra AT2 235/65 R 17 Tubeless 104 H (OWL) handle monsoon driving conditions?
Yes, wider grooves and cross-groove channels improve water evacuation and reduce the risk of aquaplaning during wet-road driving.