Nankang Winter Activa SV-4 winter tyre launches with 10% better snow braking

Nankang has launched a new winter tyre developed exclusively for the European cold season. The Winter Activa SV-4 will be available on the European market from the third quarter. The tyre will initially be available in 20 sizes from 13 to 21 inches. A second phase with additional sizes will follow during 2022.

Compared to the predecessor, SV-4 offers the more rounded performance in every category of features to deal with European winter conditions. By working with professional European proving grounds, Nankang says its engineers have elevated grip, acceleration and handling in wet-road conditions, to achieve B in EU label grades. When it comes to snowy roads, the manufacturer’s test report says the tyre outperforms its predecessor in braking, acceleration, and handling.

The finer pitches and sipes of the new pattern represent Nankang’s intention to build the SV-4 as an all-around winter tyre. Nankang says it is confident the new pattern SV-4 will meet its customers’ expectations by corresponding better to European winter conditions in particular.

Nankang Winter Activa SV-4 tyre features

Nankang Winter Activa SV-4

With the Winter Activa SV-4, Nankang said it has introduced the latest winter tyre technologies to improve winter driving safety. Its major targets for the development of the tyre were elevated grip on wet and snow, improved wear durability, and higher fuel efficiency.

The SV-4 benefits from a new structure and new materials, exclusively developed by Nankang’s new product simulation system. The profile design of the optimised tyre’s footprint improves rolling resistance and durability. Its directional V-shape tread pattern design, with main lateral grooves curving from the centre to the shoulder of the pattern, enhances lateral drainage and snow grip. Broad sipes on the central rib provides powerful biting edges to expel ice and snow. The recessive design on circumferential groove wall enhances the water-film breaking ability to reduce aquaplaning, and snow clearing efficiency.

On the tread shoulder, lateral groove blocks increase snow biting edges to improve wet and snow performance. The varied shape blocks and ladder-shape pattern areas broaden the contact area with ice and snow to strengthen the tyre’s snow-shovelling capability and reinforce traction. To maximise snow grip, Nankang has adopted 3D-sipe design with different depths depending on different block locations.

In summary, Nankang says the SV-4 delivers better wet braking performance than the SV-3, with an improvement of almost 10 per cent better than SV-3 in snow braking performance, according to the benchmark European report.