Tyre News

European motoring clubs ADAC, TCS and ÖAMTC have evaluated 16 winter tyres in size 205/60 R16, a dimension primarily worn by smaller SUVs. The test team fitted the tyres to a VW T-Roc and appraised their performance in dry, wet and wintry conditions as well as for environmental and sustainability-related factors such as noise, wear and rolling resistance.

Although the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) predicts that battery electric vehicles will capture a 17.8% share of the new car market by the close of 2023, they remain a topic of fervent discussion and sensational headlines. Tyres aren’t exempt from this discourse, as the Daily Mail made clear in July when calling them the “dirty secret behind your electric vehicles.” To bring some common sense back into the EV tyre conversation, Michelin recently shared its views on the subject.

Tyre safety has been discussed in detail in two episodes of the Driving for Better Business podcast. The chair of road safety organisation TyreSafe, Stuart Lovatt, provided tyre safety insights for all drivers, focusing on company cars and grey fleet. Among other topics, he discussed tyres for electric vehicles, issues to be aware of when fitting part-worn tyres and October’s Tyre Safety Month. Tips focus on mitigating risk, saving money and staying safe when driving for work. Both episodes are embedded below.

Continental WinterContact TS 870’s strength in wet and dry conditions was enough to win its second Auto Express Winter Tyre Test in a row. Competing against six other global manufacturers’ products, the Conti tyre narrowly finished ahead of the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005 – WhatTyre’s Winter Tyre of the Year – by only 0.3 points overall. All seven tyres tested showed a good level of winter performance, with the last-placed Vredestein Wintrac Pro only 3.2 points out of 100 behind the Conti tyre. The performance differences between the top four winter tyres in the test especially were minimal, and the winner was selected as a particularly good tyre for UK winter driving conditions. The tyres were tested in size 225/45R17 in northern Sweden and in Germany.

Season-specific winter tyres may be niche products in the UK but make a lot of sense in certain situations. For example, high-powered performance cars may benefit from the added grip they offer when temperatures drop. Auto Bild Sportscars has evaluated 11 brands of tyre in size 225/40 R18 to gauge performance in snowy, wet and dry conditions. Four tyres gain the motoring publication’s highest recommendation, but Auto Bild Sportscars also warns that some winter products aren’t up to the job.

Hyundai has approved Hankook’s Ventus S1 evo 3 ev in size 225/55R18W as original fitment tyres for its Ioniq 6. The tyre is developed specifically for electric cars, featuring low rolling resistance, which helps to increase range on a full charge, and a lightweight, robust construction to meet the specific requirements of all-electric vehicles, such as the Ioniq 6.