Snowproof 2 – Nokian Tyres’ new winter flagship

Nokian Tyres is renewing its winter tyre portfolio for Europe with the introduction of a new flagship range and updates for an existing product, extending the Nokian Snowproof family to four tyre models suitable for small family cars through to large and heavy SUVs. The new flagship is Snowproof 2, and its arrival is accompanied by the European debut of SilentDrive technology.

The Finnish manufacturer developed Snowproof 2 and Snowproof 2 SUV for Central European drivers to provide “uncompromising performance on snow, slush, and heavy rain.” Nokian Tyres considers “excellent safety in all driving conditions” the tyre family’s most important characteristic and in this respect says Snowproof tyres offer “controlled and predictable driving feel” whether driving on motorways, in urban traffic or on scenic mountain roads.

Citing a remit of delivering “ultimate safety for the situations (in which) it is needed the most,” Nokian Tyres states that Snowproof 2 and Snowproof 2 SUV deliver an “innovative combination of superior winter grip, stability and driving comfort.” The tyre maker adds that the range’s “excellent safety properties” directly result from new, optimised tread designs, updated compounds, rigorous testing and relentless research. It packages these updates to tread and compound as Alpine Sense Grip 2.0.

Connoisseurs of winter

“Winter comes with all kinds of weather variations – from deep, freezing ice, fluffy, glittery snow, heavy and damp sleet to wet and murky slush. All these are the conditions we thrive in. Our expertise is based on decades of research and testing, starting from the world’s first winter tyre. You can easily argue that we are the connoisseurs of winter,” says Tommi Alhola, vice-president of passenger car tyres, Central Europe at Nokian Tyres.

Already employed on Nokian winter tyres for Nordic markets, SilentDrive Technology is “designed and developed with environmental friendliness and driving comfort in mind.” Nokian Tyres explains that it adds a “light layer of acoustic foam” to the tyre’s inner liner in order to achieve “exceptionally low sound levels. SilentDrive Technology will be available in selected Snowproof 2 SUV sizes.

WR becomes Snowproof 1

In addition to these new tyre models, Nokian tyres is upgrading the existing Snowproof range previously known as WR Snowproof. The updated model continues in the market as Nokian Snowproof 1 and the manufacturer reports that drivers will particularly notice improvements to this passenger car tyre in wet conditions. The Nokian Snowproof P continues serving the ultra-high-performance section of the market.

WR Snowproof is now known as Snowproof 1 (Photo: Nokian Tyres)

When the new Snowproof 2 range arrives in autumn 2023, Nokian Tyres promises that a “comprehensive size selection” will be available. More than 150 products for 15- to 21-inch rim diameters will come to market in speed categories T (190 km/h), H (210 km/h) V (240 km/h) and W (270 km/h). Most tyres are marked XL for the highest possible load capacity in their size.