Winter Tyres
ZC Rubber is launching its second generation of Westlake WSA2LT, WAS2, WDA2LT, WDA2, WSM2 and WDM2 all-steel truck and light truck tyres into the European market effective 1 July 2020. According to the company, the range is designed for “European fleets who seek both tyre performance and cost saving”.
ZC Rubber will add 68 new sizes to its Z-series winter tyre lines. The Chinese manufacturer, based in Hangzhou, says the new sizes aim to meet the diverse demands of European customers. They are designed for the wet and snowy road conditions typical of the continent’s winters. The new sizes will be available across its All Elite Season Z-401, Zupersnow Z-507, and Icemaster Spike Z-506 products. The tyres will be available for the 2020/21 winter season. ZC Rubber launched the Z-401 all-season tyre, the Z-507 winter tyre, and the studded winter tyre Z-506 in Europe last year. It tells Tyres & Accessories that the three Z-series lines “have gained great popularity with sales exceeding expectations.”
Vredestein has launched an upgraded winter car tyre, rebranding its Snowtrac range for the cold weather segment. The new tyre, the Vredestein Wintrac, was scheduled to be launched at The Tire Cologne. Due to that event’s cancellation, the new tyre is also entering the market as the brand’s first ever virtual launch. Vredestein says the tyre is “more suitable for current European winters.” Accordingly its engineers have improved the winter range’s performance in all types of wet conditions. It also continues to drive well on snow, it adds.
Firestone has launched the Winterhawk 4 winter tyre – the next generation of the Bridgestone brand’s flagship winter tyre line. The tyre targets cars and on-road SUVs at a mid-range, value price. Firestone says its Winterhawk 4 tyre has been engineered for optimal control and handling in cold and unpredictable conditions. The manufacturer states that the new tyre offers improved traction on snow and ice at around 7 per cent better than the Winterhawk 3. Braking distances on wet winter roads are 4 per cent shorter too.
Tyre maker Hankook had rounded off its 2020 off-road car tyre range with the Dynapro AT2, an all-round 4×4 tyre that features winter tyre accreditation. The Hankook Dynapro AT2 takes over from the Dynapro AT M. This covers the needs of all those customers who require high traction and safety with their off-road vehicle both on and off paved roads. Thanks to the 3PMSF symbol on the sidewall, drivers can now drive legally all year round with this tyre. The line-up covers all popular sizes in this category from 15 to 22 inches.
Giti Tire has made its latest ultra-high performance tyre, the GT Radial WinterPro2 Sport, available to order. The tyre is the brand’s latest winter tyre for the UHP market, launching in nine 17-19” sizes. The manufacturer states that the tyre is designed for both high powered passenger cars and premium SUVs.
Having hinted at its impending introduction in February, Goodyear has launched the Vector 4Seasons Gen-3. The most recent instalment in its award-winning range of all-season tyres, Goodyear’s latest generation tyre is designed to provide “improved snow, wet and dry performance”.
Sales of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta Truck E winter tyre and compatible Noktop Hakkapeliitta E retreading materials have exceeded a million units during their decade or so on the market. But all good things come to an end, and it is time to make way for an improved product. Nokian Tyres is introducing the Nokian Hakkapeliitta Truck E2 as a “true next-generation drive axle tyre for extreme winter conditions.”
Nokian Tyres is launching a successor to its Nokian WR A4. It calls this new addition to its cold-weather portfolio the Nokian Snowproof P and describes it is a “sporty and modern combination of high-performance handling and reliable winter grip.”
Yokohama Rubber has long been one of the most significant firms within the tyre industry to exhibit at the Geneva International Motor Show. Although this year’s event was cancelled, the tyre maker has proceeded with the virtual launch of no less than five products destined for European markets. The new additions to the Yokohama range are the BluEarth-GT AE51, BluEarth-XT AE61 and Geolandar CV G058, as well as the BluEarth Winter V906 and IceGuard Studless IG53 winter patterns.
Continental has launched the new WinterContact TS 870, a winter tyre for small to medium sized cars, at an event in Kittilä, Finland. The tyre is the successor to 2016’s WinterContact TS 860, which has been widely recognised for the quality of its performance in tyre tests. The new tyre, which has a newly designed high-technology tread design and a new iteration of Conti’s Cool Chili compound with optimised crosslink density, features balanced performance improvements over the TS 860, notably five per cent shorter braking on ice and grip on snow, seven per cent increased tread life, and best-in-class noise, represented by one-wave (70dB) on the EU tyre label.
In spite of what it calls a “soft” market for car tyres in Europe last year, Nokian Tyres maintained its level of net sales throughout the period. Operating profit was lower year-on-year, and profit considerably increased. Operating profit is expected to take another tumble in 2020.
Evidence from a number of market research sources concurs – increasing numbers of motorists are choosing all-season tyres for their cars. The first indication came from GfK data, which compared the percentage growth of all-season tyre sales reported by its UK panelmarket (in terms of volume and value) in 2018 with seasonal tyre sales during 2019. Winter tyre sales volumes were down 1 per cent last year. During the same period, winter tyre values fell three times faster (down 3 per cent).
Nynas is attending Tire Technology Expo in Hannover, Germany, 25-27 February 2020 where the company is showing how tyres made with Nynas oils provide “low rolling resistance, reducing energy losses and fuel consumption, while maintaining wet grip for improved control on snow and ice.” Performance of naphthenic oil in winter tyres will also be examined in a presentation by Technical Advisor Dr. Kamyar Alavi, entitled “Get a grip: performance of naphthenic oil in winter tyres.”
The UK is preparing for one of the coldest winters in almost a decade, but new data shows many drivers are dangerously unprepared to drive in icy conditions and could be putting themselves and others at risk as a result. A survey of 2,006 UK car drivers carried out by Auto Trader published in the Winter Driving Study, has revealed that more than 1 in 4 (28 per cent) admit they are too scared to drive in the snow.
ZC Rubber
ZC Rubber
Firestone
Hankook
Giti
Goodyear