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Expanded Sensa-Trac® Product Line Features Application-Tuned Technology To Help Restore Each Vehicle’s OE Ride and Handling Characteristics
Monroe, MI - Tenneco Automotive (NYSE: TEN) has announced a significant expansion of premium application-tuned Monroe replacement shock absorbers and struts for foreign-nameplate passenger cars, light trucks, minivans and sport-utility vehicles. Monroe Sensa-Trac® and Monroe Reflex® shocks and struts are now available for more than 60 million import vehicles registered in the U.S. and Canada.
Tenneco Automotive is a leading global manufacturer of ride control and emission control products for the original equipment and replacement markets.
The Monroe brand’s expanded import coverage is expected to help automotive service providers address the ride control replacement needs of the fastest growing segment of the vehicle population. The number of new import vehicles registered in North America has grown by nearly 60 percent since 1993, according to the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).
"Automotive service providers can now aggressively pursue the import ride control market by relying on the brand they know and trust," said Richard Alameddine, vice president of marketing, North American Aftermarket, for Tenneco Automotive. "Monroe’s full-line offering of application-specific shocks and struts provides the coverage and OE-style performance preferred by many import owners who have traditionally relied on their vehicle dealership for replacement ride control products."
A growing number of aftermarket parts providers and service businesses are focusing on ways to attract new customers within the import category, according to Alameddine. Research conducted by Tenneco Automotive indicates that just 31 percent of import owners currently rely on general automotive service shops for ride control replacement, compared to the nearly 50 percent of domestic-vehicle owners who choose general automotive repair locations.
"A large part of the problem has been the perception that quality replacement parts for many imports aren’t readily available within the aftermarket supply chain," Alameddine said. "That’s no longer true in the ride control category. Monroe installers can now offer consumers immediate access to the right parts and quality ride control services for their import models."
The expanded line of Monroe Sensa-Trac and Monroe Reflex shocks and struts now covers more than 93 percent of foreign nameplate vehicles. Sensa-Trac shocks and struts feature "prescription" construction and valve configurations – Monroe’s ASD (Acceleration-Sensitive Damping) or PSD (Position-Sensitive Damping) technology – to match each vehicle’s ride and handling profile. Vehicles designed to deliver a control-intensive ride are covered by Sensa-Trac shocks and struts featuring ASD technology. Vehicles designed for a more comfort-focused ride feature Monroe’s PSD valving system, which enhances comfort while responding with increased control in more challenging road conditions. In cases where the vehicle was manufactured with monotube-style shock absorbers, the corresponding Sensa-Trac shock features monotube construction.
"Monroe products for imports are engineered to help provide the ride and handling the consumer felt when the vehicle was new," Alameddine said. "By choosing Monroe, the technician and consumer won’t be surprised by a repair that results in a ride that’s too soft or too harsh for the application."
For import light trucks, minivans and sport-utility vehicles, technicians and consumers also have the choice of ride-tuned Monroe Reflex shocks and struts. These units feature Monroe’s next-generation Reflex brass valve system, which reacts within 12 milliseconds to road impacts. This increased control, ideally suited to applications with higher centers of gravity, helps reduce vehicle pitch and roll.
All premium Monroe shocks and struts are offered with Tenneco Automotive’s exclusive "Safe & Sound Guarantee," a 90-day money-back trial offer. (Restrictions apply; visit www.monroe.com for details.)
For more information on Monroe shocks and struts for foreign-nameplate applications, please contact your Monroe supplier, visit www.monroe.com, or write to: Monroe for Imports, One International Drive, Monroe, MI 48161. To locate the nearest Monroe installer, simply use the "Dealer Locator" feature on www.monroe.com.
Tenneco Automotive is a $4.2 billion manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois, and approximately 18,400 employees worldwide. Tenneco Automotive is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of ride control and exhaust systems and products, which are sold under the Monroe® and Walker® global brand names. Among its products are Sensa-Trac® and Monroe® Reflex® shocks and struts, Rancho® shock absorbers, Walker® Quiet-Flow® mufflers and DynoMax® performance exhaust products, and Monroe® Clevite® vibration control components.
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