Winter Tyres
When the budget is tight the car may end up staying in the driveway a few years longer than planned, and the temptation to plump for a cheaper set of tyres is strong. But Continental argues that it is precisely these motorists – those driving older vehicles – who shouldn’t scrimp when it comes to tyre purchases, particularly for winter tyres.
Continental Tyres is offering motorists the chance to experience the difference in performance between summer and winter tyres, with free tests during half-term at Mercedes-Benz World, Weybridge.
In the current SUV winter tyre test presented by German motoring magazine Auto Zeitung Allrad (issue 5/14), eight size 235/65R17 H/V tyres are put through their paces on an Audi Q5 TFSI Quattro. The magazine’s team voted the Pirelli Scorpion Winter test winner. Four further tyres, the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D, Goodyear Ultragrip+ SUV, Michelin Latitude Alpin LA3 and Uniroyal MS Plus 77, were rated “highly recommendable”. Sixth place was held by the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-80 Evo, and the wooden spoon was shared by the Kumho l’Zen RV KC15 and Nokian WR SUV 3.
As reported today, German motoring magazine Auto Bild recently published its annual winter tyre test. Out of the 50 tested tyres, only 16 were deemed worthy of progressing to the second round of tests – and just 14 were given a ‘recommended’ or higher rating. Many in the final 14 were products from household name premium tyre manufacturers, but – as Leicester City showed Manchester United last month – it isn’t always the big names that finish on top. A name many didn’t expect to see was Westlake, who received a recommended result for its SW608 and in doing so highlighted the truth that not all Chinese tyres are price-driven, lower-quality products.
In the seven-page winter tyre test in its 40/2014 edition, German motoring magazine Auto Bild sifted through no less than fifty products to identify the best tyres for use in the cold season. Many tyres failed to get past the first braking test, but after the second round of testing, in which the 16 best-performing of the size 225/50 R17 tyres were further evaluated on the testers’ BMW 3 Series, Auto Bild named four as ‘exemplary’, ten ‘recommendable’, and two as ‘conditionally recommendable’. While the “usual suspects” – the premium brands – dominated the stop spots in the test, there were a couple of positive surprises.
ATS Euromaster is once again switching over thousands of its customers’ tyres to winter rubber as fleets begin to prepare for the colder months ahead. The tyre and vehicle servicing expert has placed initial orders for approximately £7 million worth of the specialist tyres, and its network of 345 centres is already seeing customers requesting their summer tyres be removed and winter tyres fitted.
Pirelli’s Scorpion Winter tyre, a premium winter tyre for SUVs, has won a test against all its biggest rivals conducted by Germany’s prestigious ‘Autozeitung’ magazine. The Scorpion Winter tyre was originally launched in St Petersburg, Russia, in 2012 by American extreme sports star Ken Block.
The development of the winter tyre market has been a topic of discussion for years now. During the last decade this niche segment has experienced significant growth (see chart 1). And while winter tyres still only account for between one and two per cent UK replacement market share, that isn’t the case across Europe where winter tyre share exceeds 50 per cent. Besides, that doesn’t negate the safety benefits these products offer. Neither does it undermine the retail opportunities available to the trade. And of course the development of winter tyres – as with summer tyres and other products – is best done in partnership with original equipment manufacturers.
With all this in mind, it is no surprise that premium-focused manufacturer Pirelli invests what it does in the development, distribution and crucially the communication of the benefits of winter tyres. For example Pirelli held a series of experience events earlier this summer in order to not only explain but also demonstrate the benefits of winter tyres to market customers and partners. Tyres & Accessories attended one such event at Tamworth Snowdome and learnt how strong Pirelli is in this segment and experience the difference winter tyres make – especially on luxury 4×4 vehicles.
Infinity Tyres Europe has questioned a recent ADAC winter tyre test’s selection of its INF049 – a tyre the company says is no longer in production. The tyre was evaluated as part of the 2014 ADAC winter tyre test, and while the manufacturer does not wish to question the German organisation’s testing parameters, it criticises the selection process that led to its INF049 tyre being tested. Infinity says the tyre was “only available to purchase in 2013.”
Two Nokian winter tyres have achieved top results in German magazine winter tests. The Finnish manufacturer’s WR SUV 3 won both the test and a top “highly recommended” rating in the winter tyre test of German magazine Off Road, while the WR D3 passenger car tyre won a test conducted by Deutscher Sprachraum automobile clubs.
A dealership describing itself as “London’s most beautiful Volkswagen garage”, Monaco VW has announced the offer of a comprehensive Winter Vehicle Check. From 15 September, the Kensington garage will offer the service at £29.99. The check offers a technical inspection of tyres, battery, brakes, lights and fluid levels, giving a detailed report to customers on the status of their vehicle ahead of the winter period. Winter checks, both complementary and charged, are an increasingly popular product offered by garages seeking ways to increase the quality of their service, the engagement of motorists, and a way to generate increased revenue streams. Winter checks in particular could help to support growth in seasonal tyre products, which has been palpable, if also rather timid.
New winter sizes have entered Delticom’s Star Performer exclusive brand line-up in time for this year’s cold season. The new products are already available from Delticom’s national online portals, including the company’s UK consumer and B2B sites.
Cooper Tire Europe has introduced a new winter range under its Starfire Tires associated brand. The Starfire W200 is aimed at the compact car market and manufactured at Cooper’s Kruševac facility in Serbia. Following testing in Alpine winter conditions, the tyre maker reports this newest member of the Starfire winter portfolio is a tyre that “delivers exceptional grip in snow, slush and wet conditions, thanks to state-of-the-art computer technology and increased sipe density.”
Toyo’s Open Country W/T tyre is Audi’s choice as OEM fitment on its flagship Q7 model, a fact that Toyo says proves its quality. The Japanese manufacturer designed the model as a highway winter tyre for SUVs, but says its compound and tread design also make it a capable all-rounder suitable for UK driving conditions during most of the year.
Shanghai based contract tyre manufacturer SD-International’s three private brands – Pace, Zeta and Maxtrek – all provide winter tyre patterns. The Zeta and Pace brands present the Antartica winter range, which includes three pattern designs with features such as a high silica compound, multi-flat profile and a wide tread design. The range is available in V speed rating for all high performance vehicles.
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