Vredestein launching next-generation all-season UHP tyre

Vredestein Quatrac Pro EV (Photo: Apollo Tyres)

Through its premium Vredestein passenger car brand, Apollo Tyres offers one of the largest portfolios of high-performance tyres in Europe, including all-season, winter and summer options. The current includes the Quatrac Pro and Quatrac Pro EV for all-season, the Wintrac Pro for winter and the Ultrac Vorti+ and Vorti R+ for summer.

Yves Pouliquen, group head of sales and marketing at Apollo Tyres, shares that this month the company confirmed details of the all-new Vredestein Quatrac Pro+, a dedicated all-season tyre for high-performance cars and SUVs, which will be available later this year. Building on the success of the popular all-season Quatrac Pro (which remains on sale in 2023), the new Quatrac Pro+ delivers improvements in performance and efficiency, as well as new size options. “Its arrival ensures the Vredestein brand continues to offer the widest portfolio of all-season tyres on the market,” comments Pouliquen.

The head of sales and marketing reports that Vredestein Quatrac Pro+ offers best-in-class grip in the wet and delivers five per cent better grip on snow and ice than the Quatrac Pro. The new tyre also improves rolling resistance by five per cent for greater fuel efficiency, thus appealing to drivers who use their cars daily.

According to Pouliquen, the new tyre’s “impressive performance capabilities” can be attributed to an advanced tread design and unique blend of different compound materials, developed by Apollo Tyres’ global R&D team in the Netherlands. “In addition, the proportion of sustainable materials used in the tyre has been increased by 1.5% per cent to align with our global sustainability goals.”

Investing to maintain leadership

With the Vredestein brand delivering innovation in Europe’s growing high-performance all-season market for the past three decades, Pouliquen states that Apollo Tyres will “continue invest in high-quality products and technologies to ensure we remain a leader in the segment.” He adds: “Compared with conventional products, high-performance tyres must cope with extreme levels of stress, both on and off the racetrack, and require complex design, development, and manufacturing processes.

“Each of our high-performance tyres have been developed with a unique blend of materials for the tread compound, which optimises traction during acceleration and provides high levels of grip during braking and high-speed cornering. “

Virtual prototyping helps performance & efficiency

As more customers in Europe express their desire for tyres that they can use year-round, Apollo Tyres has used its expertise in the all-season segment to produce products that maintain performance in the wet and on ice, while maintaining impressive levels of rolling resistance for saving fuel during daily driving and commuting. Yves Pouliquen says the result is “a range of tyres that offer high levels of performance all year at a competitive cost.”

Apollo Tyres credits the increased use of virtual prototyping as a key factor in achieving high levels of performance and efficiency. “Developed in-house over the last 25 years, the technology has helped Apollo Tyres maintain its position in the high-performance segment, increasing efficiency and decreasing our carbon footprint, while allowing us to continue to grow the Vredestein brand through the rollout of innovative products,” states Pouliquen.

Playing a key role in the success of Vredestein’s first all-season tyre dedicated to electric vehicles – the Quatrac Pro EV – the increased use of virtual prototyping has “transformed” Apollo Tyres’ product development cycle and allowed it to meet and exceed performance goals.

“Looking forward, we are excited to continue to evolve our high-performance products under the Vredestein brand, bringing more sizes and products to European customers,” Pouliquen concludes.