Increased Safety in Cold Weather

Next year will see Continental launch ContiCrossContact Winter, a new 4×4 SUV winter tyre with asymmetrical tread design. Development of this tyre has been focused on safe driving properties on typical winter roads, superb handling in the dry, and a high resistance to aquaplaning. Starting in the autumn of 2006, the ContiCrossContact Winter tyre will gradually replace the company’s well-proven Conti4x4WinterContact.

Like Conti’s current winter tyre for passenger cars – the WinterContact TS 810 Sport – the asymmetrical tread pattern is deliberately tailored to do different jobs The vehicle side of the tyre is designed to ensure safe driving in typical winter conditions, whereas the road side of the tyre is said to guarantee excellent handling in dry conditions. This is why the tread blocks as well as the siping systems differ substantially on each side of the tyre.

Continental’s tyre engineers have developed special sinusoidal and stepped sipes to deliver outstanding grip on snow and ice covered roads. The sipes are distributed in an asymmetrical fashion across the tread of the tyre: sinusoidal sipes are located on the inside of the tyre to give high grip on snow and ice; on the outside tread blocks, however, high grip is provided by sturdy stepped sipes. Additional ultra-high-grip edges on the stable shoulder blocks deliver enhanced longitudinal and transverse traction, as well as good directional control in deep snow.

Four wide drainage grooves and streamlined cross sections on the outside shoulders give high resistance to aquaplaning. Even in wet-road driving the ContiCrossContact Winter is capable of taking up large amounts of water and maximising water dispersion. According to Continental, the new tyre’s strong dry handling are generated by large stable shoulder blocks on the outer side of the tyre. They ensure direct transmission of power via the stable outer shoulder, hence delivering outstanding driving properties on dry roads.

Continental’s tyre development engineers have made significant progress on the predecessor model of the ContiCrossContact Winter. Snow traction has reportedly been improved by 13 per cent. Furthermore the manufacturer claims that braking distance on ice has been reduced by nine per cent, with maximum possible wet cornering speed being increased by twelve per cent, says Continental. Dry handling performance of the new ContiCrossContact Winter has been improved by six per cent; tyre life is also said to be five per cent longer.

The ContiCrossContact Winter will be available in 18 different sizes, and speed rated for up to 240 km/h, from July next year.