Nokian renews winter tyre range

Three new products have been added to Nokian Tyres’ Hakkapeliitta winter tyre range for the Nordic market and two new winter tyres have also been introduced for the Central European and North American markets. Announcing the five new products, company president and CEO Kim Gran stated “this is the biggest launch in the history of our company as we renew most of our winter tyre range. The new generation of Hakkapeliitta tyres is a significant upgrade to our long line of test winning products. We are looking forward to introducing the finely tuned safety and handling properties to the consumers.”

The Finnish tyre maker says that when designing the new Hakkapeliitta tyres, the focus was on creating authentic winter tyres that perform safely and reliably under the demanding and varying northern conditions, from extremely low temperatures to wet weather.

The studded Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 is described by Nokian as a tyre that “masters all the elements of winter.” The design of this latest-generation studded Hakkapeliitta tyre is based on the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 that was introduced in 2009. This multiple test winner holds a world record in its field: over 30 test wins in car magazines between 2009 and 2012.

The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 is a non-studded winter tyre that Nokian says will “safely tackle even the trickiest winter conditions.” The manufacturer reports the Hakkapeliitta R2 “has made a significant leap of progress” in the area of grip on ice surfaces. It adds that the tyre will be “the number one choice for those who value unique driving comfort and eco-friendly travelling.” Rolling resistance is also said to be extremely low and developments in handling on ice, snow, and wet roads have been made.
 
The world’s northernmost tyre manufacturer is also introducing the non-studded Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 SUV winter tyre, specially tailored for sport utility vehicles. “The new innovations in the tread patterns and compounds of this stable, rugged new product ensure that the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 SUV’s handling and grip properties are top-notch,” the tyre maker shares.

Nokian Tyres is introducing the new Hakkapeliitta products to its most important partners at its own testing centre in Ivalo, Finland in the coming weeks. In addition to the launch in Ivalo, promotional tours will also be held the Nordic countries and Russia. All of the three aforementioned Hakkapeliitta products are aimed at the company’s core Nordic and Russian markets, and will start shipping to retailers in early 2013.

During the spring, the company is also launching the Nokian WR SUV 3 winter tyre, developed for Central Europe’s varying winter conditions and the ever-increasing SUV segment. The new Nokian WR G3 for passenger cars, on the other hand, is an extension of the Nokian Tyres’ All Weather Plus product line for the North American market. Nokian will publish detailed product information of new the winter tyres in February.