Winter Tyres
When it comes to winter driving, Nokian Heavy Tyres observes that an extra couple of percentage points improvement in grip “makes all the difference.” This is why when developing a successor to the Hakkapeliitta Truck F, the Finnish tyre maker says it wanted to make an “already excellent” steer tyre “even better.” The Hakkapeliitta Truck F2, it adds, is a completely redesigned tyre with a “more aggressive tread pattern” that maximises grip.
At the end of January Nokian Tyres renewed its Nordman product family with the introduction of the Nordman 7, including an SUV variant. The Nokian Nordman 7 SUV studded tyres utilise a unique stud technology that offers safe and comfortable winter driving. The carefully tried and tested technological solutions ensure that new Nokian Nordman tyres are a reliable choice for the varying Northern conditions in terms of safety as well as overall economy.
Arctic Trucks, the Icelandic company that helped the Top Gear team drive to the North Pole in a Toyota Hilux ten years ago, has teamed up with Nokian Tyres to produce a new tyre for extreme winter conditions, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 44. Production of the size LT475/70 R17 tyre will begin in the next few months, and it will be exclusively available through Arctic Trucks.
With forecasters predicting an end to the mild temperatures of this winter so far and a wave of cold weather and storms towards the end of this week, Goodyear Tyres UK has published its winter driving safety tips. According to research commissioned by the manufacturer, over half (53 per cent) of motorists say they find driving in the snow and ice nerve-racking, with a further 48 per cent listing de-icing wind screens in the mornings as a problem. 40 per cent of British drivers also believe more grit should be provided by councils during periods of icy weather.
The next generation of Nokian Hakkapeliitta studded winter tyres will come to market in time for winter 2017-18. Nokian writes that these new flagship products, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 car tyre and Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV ranges, feature new stud technology.
As the UK prepares for the long winter months; the heating goes on and the woolly jumpers come out of hibernation, it is equally as important to make sure your car is prepared for the change in season too, as a harsh winter is the number one cause of accelerated wheel and tyre wear and tear.
Following a milder spell, temperatures across the UK look likely to drop in the run-up to Christmas. With colder conditions in mind, Avon Tyres has ensured winter tyre availability, with next day delivery to most parts of the UK. It offers this for the entire new Avon winter tyre range, including the Avon WV7 performance winter tyre, the Avon WT7 premium winter tyre, and WM Van, which has been specifically designed for medium-sized vans.
Yokohama HPT says it has stocked one of its most comprehensive winter tyre ranges ever ahead of a season that weather forecasters predict will be the coldest UK winter for 35 years. Available for next day delivery from its central UK distribution centre, the range is suited for drivers of all cars and light commercial vehicles, and is targeted in particular at those who need to guarantee their mobility in the harshest of conditions, such as emergency services, utility companies, community nurses and doctors.
Whether you operate one van or 100 vehicles, daily maintenance checks are more important in winter months than ever. Cold weather can present some of the most challenging driving conditions and when winter arrives it’s important to know your vehicle(s) is more than capable of dealing with extreme weather.
No fewer than nine car magazines and motoring associations in Germany published tyre tests for the 2016/17 season, and always there have been winners and losers. Continental belongs firmly in the former category, with its tyres finding themselves, without exception, top-rated. The company’s various WinterContact products landed ‘highly recommended’ and ‘exemplary’ ratings. Other well-known names, including Goodyear Dunlop, Hankook, Michelin, Nokian and Pirelli, all came away with top ratings in some tests. Open the table below for an overview of this winter season’s tyre test winners and losers.
Davanti’s first full year has seen the brand engage in a broad and intensive range of sales and marketing activities, led by a rapid fire trade show appearance schedule. Interest in the brand has been quick to ignite in its UK home market. The company’s management has consistently said the wildfire-like growth of Landsail – distributed by Grouptyre member and Davanti Tyres sister wholesaler Oak Tyres, and manufactured, like all of Davanti’s current products, by Qingdao Sentury Tire – in the UK has not been the focus; according to them Davanti wants to grow in a more controlled, brand-driven manner. So far the company has certainly more than fired a warning shot across the bows of other brands operating in the highly competitive aspirational mid-range sector of the UK market, while Davanti’s recent appointment of European sales director Michael Eckert, formerly of Sailun, Hankook and Michelin in his 21-year career, demonstrates its seriousness about growing into continental Europe. So this was an excellent time for the company to host its first dealer event; a three-day Product Experience trip at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
Hankook Tire reports that its Sealguard anti-puncture technology is now being applied to its winter tyres. For the upcoming season, certain original equipment fitments – the Volkswagen Passat and Touran are two models Hankook specifically names – will receive i*cept evo tyres containing the sealing material, which can seal tread punctures up to 5mm in diameter.
Several new products have joined the Marangoni winter portfolio. The Italian retreading supplier states that these treads “offer similar performance” to high quality brand new tyres, and thus represent “the best alternative by far” for those seeking a combination of reliability, high mileage and lower cost.
By the time Tyres & Accessories caught up with Davanti Tyres towards the end of CITExpo, the team was looking back at a full year of trade fairs – the Shanghai show was the company’s last major exhibition for 2016. Yet although Davanti Tyres is now taking a breather from the show circuit, its work promoting the brand continues.
Pirelli’s Ice Zero studded tyre has been awarded top honours in a dedicated test hosted by one of Sweden’s leading car magazines. The tyre beat eight key rivals from the best-known tyre manufacturers in the industry during a rigorous test that tested every aspect of snow and ice performance. Traction, braking, grip and handling in a variety of snow and ice conditions were assessed during the test, carried out by Swedish car magazine Teknikens Varld.
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