New Tyres

Kumho Tire has debuted Ecsta Sport and Ecsta Sport S as successors to the Ecsta PS91 and PS71. It says the newcomers build on the strengths of the predecessors, with the Sport S sitting a rung higher on the performance ladder. Kumho bills this as a “super sport tyre.”

A further 54 size options have entered the Vredestein Ultrac Pro line-up, boosting the number of dimensions available in the UK to 60. Manufacturer Apollo Tyres has extended the ultra-ultra-high-performance (UUHP) summer tyre range further into 18- to 22-inch rim diameter territory, complementing existing options for rims up to 24-inches.

Davanti Tyres has launched the Davanti Ecoura, a new high performance tyre for compact and medium-sized cars. Available now in 14-16” sizes, the tyre enhances comfort, low noise and wet weather performance. The UK-owned brand is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2025.

Korean tyre brand Nexen will supply its Nexen N’Fera Supreme S all-season tyre to the new Hyundai flagship SUV, the Palisade. The tyre is tuned for performance and comfort alongside mobility in all normal weather conditions. The new supply deal demonstrates the strides Nexen has made in its tyre technology and product quality, and illustrates its increasing competitiveness with other vaunted brands.

The new Continental EcoContact 7 and EcoContact 7 S summer tyres, successors to the WhatTyre Eco Tyre of the Year 2024, will be launched in 2025. Featuring Conti’s latest efficiency-boosting technologies, the new EcoContact series tyres predominantly achieve EU tyre label ratings of A for rolling resistance, as well as A or B for wet braking and rolling noise, and are suitable for both electric vehicles, indicated by the Continental EV Compatible logo, and internal combustion engine (ICE) powered cars. The tyres, whose impending arrival we reported last year, also offer lower levels of noise.

The Churchill Tyres brand from UK wholesaler Bond International now includes many sizes offering top-class wet grip. The brand, which is manufactured by global top ten tyre-maker Sailun Group, offers the Churchill RCB-010 ultra-high performance car tyre in a broad range of 16-20” sizes, many certified with the top A rating on the European tyre label.

Hankook Tire is launching Optimo, a new car tyre brand in Europe in mid-2025. The brand offers a new second-line brand alongside the Korean manufacturer’s existing Laufenn brand. The Optimo product line-up will offer good market coverage with six essential products covering a broad range of summer, all-season and winter sizes. Hankook says the sub-premium market segment is “seeing increasing demand”.

Apollo Tyres has launched the Vredestein Quatrac Classic, a premium all-season classic car tyre that combines timeless looks with modern structure and materials for superior standards of year-round grip and traction.

The new summer tyre for compact and family cars from Vredestein will improve potential mileage by 30%. The Ultrac+ will be launched in January 2025 as the follow up to the Ultrac with a vast improvement in its environmental impact and total cost of ownership. The brand's manufacturer Apollo Tyres adds that the tyre also reduces rolling resistance by 3%, which contributes to fuel saving or increased range in electric vehicles.