Goodyear launches UltraGrip8 Performance
Despite the late summer sun (or perhaps because of it) Goodyear invited journalists to the launch of the UltraGrip8 Performance at Icebar in London on 6 September. While it may have been uncharacteristically warm for a British summer, the Icebar environment (where the walls, bar, table and even glasses are made of ice) were intended to provide a physical reminder of what winter conditions mean for cars and drivers alike.
According to Goodyear, the UltraGrip8 winter tyre, specifically developed to deliver solid performance on slush, snow and on icy roads. Apart from the obvious need for such strengths in a winter product the car also followed consumer demand for solid handling, braking and grip capabilities in a tyre, building on consumer concerns over vehicle control in snow.
UltraGrip8 Performance offers a combination of three siping technologies designed to provide both rigidity and snow handling performance. High-density full-depth Hybrid Blades also provides great snow handling throughout the tyres life and an increased number of edges from the higher pitch sequence contribute to improved overall snow performance
On wet a directional design with Hydro-Dynamic Grooves disperses water sideways to enable effective aquaplaning resistance while on dry a continuous center rib contributes to more precise steering and maneuvering. Independent test results confirmed that, of the tyres tested, UltraGrip8 Performance also offers some one of the lowest rolling resistance results.
Michelle Fisher, Goodyear Brand Manager said: “When we asked the consumer what they expected from a winter tyre, we were clearly told that there are high expectations when it comes to grip and braking. Many consumers today were on Europe’s roads a few years ago when harsh winters gripped Europe. The lessons learned there still stick in their mind and that education has brought about a stronger and more focused demand on grip and braking. We have developed UltraGrip8 Performance to meet on these needs”.
While no official labelling details have yet been released, and while the relevance of current European tyre labelling legislation to winter tyres has been questioned by several parties, the latest product is expected to achieve and A and E grade when the label is printed.
Look out for full coverage of this launch in the forthcoming edition of Tyres & Accessories magazine.
Related news:
Comments