Continental returns to the Tour de France this year as a main sponsor, and in addition to supplying six of the participating teams with bicycle tyres, the brand is also equipping support vehicles with PremiumContact 6 and EcoContact 6 tyres. All tyres fitted to support vehicles feature ContiRe.Tex technology.
ADAC has published the results of a golden anniversary tyre test in which it evaluates one product for each year since entering the tyre testing game. It looked at 205/55 R16 V – currently the most popular dimension. In readiness for the next 50 years and as a nod to the increasing significance of environmental & sustainability issues, the motoring organisation also overhauled its system of scoring.
Continental is launching its new PremiumContact 7 into the European markets in autumn 2022. According to Continental AG’s Hanover headquarters, improved handling, braking ability and driving comfort are said to be the key features of the new tyre.
By the end of 2022, drivers in the UK will be able to equip their vehicles with Continental summer or all-season tyres made using polyester from recycled PET bottles. Continental calls this sustainable material ContiRe.Tex and began incorporating it into some tyre lines in April. The initial range coming to the UK consists of 15 dimensions in total, with five sizes of PremiumContact 6, EcoContact 6 and AllSeasonContact available.
Kia has selected Continental tyres as original equipment for its new Niro. In European, Middle East and African markets, it will deliver the fully-electric version of its SUV with Continental EcoContact 6 Q tyres in size 215/55 R17 94V. Plug-in hybrid models of the Niro will roll on the PremiumContact 6, which Kia will fit in size 225/45 R18 95V XL FR.
Mercedes-Benz has chosen Continental tyre technology for its C-Class and will equip the car with the PremiumContact 6 and EcoContact 6 in a total of four sizes.
Selected sizes within the Continental PremiumContact 6, EcoContact 6 and AllSeasonContact tyre ranges will now contain recycled polyester yarn obtained from plastic PET bottles. The recycled yarn completely replaces conventional polyester within the tyre casing, with around 40 PET bottles needed for a typical set of passenger car tyres.
The 2022 summer tyre tests performed by German motoring organisation ADAC and its Austrian and Swiss counterparts ÖAMTC and TCS evaluated a total of 34 tyres, both in size 185/65 R15 88H as well as the 215/60 R16 99V tyre size for compact SUVs that we’re looking at here. Overall, ADAC considers the outcome of the two tests a “positive review” of recent tyre evolution, as it considers almost all the tested tyres “recommendable or even particularly recommendable.”
Continental is supplying two tyre models as original equipment for the Kia EV6, with customers able to choose between the PremiumContact 6 and CrossContact RX. UK customers preferring to equip their electric crossover with all-season or winter tyres can also do so, as dealers will offer a Kia-approved Continental AllSeasonContact and WinterContact TS 850.
The Polestar 2 can be ordered with factory-fitted Continental PremiumContact 6 and SportContact 6 tyres in size 245/40 R20. Both original equipment tyres are V-rated and thus approved for speeds up to 149 mph (240 km/h) and have an XL mark for a higher maximum load. For those seeking winter surefootedness, Polestar has also approved the Continental WinterContact TS 850 P in size 245/45R19 102V XL.
The latest iteration of the Jaguar I-Pace is available with Continental tyres as original equipment. Jaguar Land Rover is fitting the PremiumContact 6 on its all-electric SUV in size 255/40 R22 103V XL. This original equipment tyre for the I-Pace features ContiSeal puncture protection, a technology that Continental says can prevent the adverse consequences of around 80 per cent of all common punctures.
Porsche has approved three Continental tyre models as original equipment for the Taycan. The all-electric sports car can be delivered from the factory with the Continental PremiumContact 6 summer tyre in the front wheel size 225/55 R 19 XL and size 275/45 R 19 XL at the rear. Customers in European markets can also select WinterContact TS 860 S in the same sizes. Taycan buyers in North America can order their car with all-season Continental ProContact RX tyres in the aforementioned dimensions as well as 245/45 R 20 XL and 285/40 R 20 XL or 265/35 R 21 XL and 305/30 R 21 XL.
Continental is supplying tyres to Ford for fitment on the electric version of the latest Mustang. Ford has approved the PremiumContact 6 as an original equipment tyre for the Ford Mustang Mach-E, giving customers in Europe the option of receiving their car with the Continental tyres in sizes 225/60/R18 104V XL or 225/55/R19 103V XL.
Continental reports that its share of the tyre market for fully electric vehicles is growing, with six of the ten global highest-volume manufacturers of electric vehicles selecting the brand as original equipment in 2020. This includes fitment on key electric models like the Tesla Model 3 and Model S, and Volkswagen’s ID.3, as well as with manufacturers aiming to gain a foothold in the European electric vehicle market, such as BYD, one of China’s largest car producers.
The days are getting longer and the air outside less bitingly cold. Summer is on its way, and this also means that tyre testers have emerged from hibernation. The first comparative evaluation we’ve seen for the warmer months of 2021 comes from German car magazine Gute Fahrt, which tested the tyre size 245/40 R18 Y.
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(Photo: Continental)