tyre test

The future belongs to all-season tyres, comments Auto Bild Allrad in the preamble to its 2021 test. It adds that these products have evolved into a true alternative to dedicated summer or winter tyres. This year, the German magazine for 4x4 and SUV enthusiasts evaluated ten brands of all-season tyre in size 215/65 R17. Top honours went to the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 X, a tyre that Auto Bild’s testers declared an “exemplary compromise” for safe driving in all weather conditions.

After carrying out no less than five comparative tyre tests for various Auto Bild titles, specialists Dierk Möller and Henning Klipp have a solid understanding of which all-season and winter tyres they’d gladly recommend, and which they wouldn’t. Auto Bild summarises Möller and Klipp’s findings for the current season in its 42/2021 issue and at the same time names its leading manufacturers in the all-season and winter categories. Three brands occupy the podium’s upper step.

Performance car magazine Auto Bild Sportscars has evaluated a dozen brands in its 2021 winter tyre test and also looked at an all-season tyre and a summer tyre for comparative purposes. It chose the front axle size 225/45 R18 and rear size 245/40 R18, testing these on a Mercedes C-Class for performance in dry, wet and snowy conditions.

Auto Bild begins coverage of its 2021 test by noting that motorists in its home market of Germany largely ignored winter tyres until legislation mandated their use in certain conditions. The absence of a comparable law in the UK means winter tyres remain a niche product here, yet they’re a sensible choice for some drivers, such as those living in remote areas of the country or owners of powerful vehicles.

Multiple tyre tests in recent years have shown all-season tyres to be a good choice for people wanting safe, year-round motoring, but Auto Bild points out that testing has mostly focused on tyres for small and compact cars. To shift the spotlight onto tyres for sporty mid-sized saloons, the German motoring publication has evaluated 32 brands in size 225/50 R17. In Auto Bild tradition, its testers carried out wet and dry braking tests to cut down this field of candidates to a shortlist of the 16 top performers.

The shortlist for this year’s Auto Bild winter tyre test provides no big surprises, with all 20 tyres chosen for the final round being flagship or second brands from well-known manufacturers. Bridgestone’s Blizzak LM005 tops the list after delivering the shortest combined stopping distance (from 80 km/h in wet conditions and 50 km/h on snow) during the preliminary test round. Following closely on the Bridgestone tyre’s heels were the Dunlop Winter Sport 5, Hankook Winter I*Cept RS² and Continental WinterContact TS 870.

Parky mornings and evenings are one sign that summer is on the wane. The appearance of all-season and winter tyre tests is another. The first out this year is from German motoring magazine Autozeitung, which looked at the commonly-fitted small car size 205/55 R16. Autozeitung evaluated nine brands of all-season tyre on a VW Golf Mk7 for their performance in wet, dry and snowy conditions, as well as comfort, noise and rolling resistance.

Not all campervans are ponderous wheeled boxes that slow traffic. Van-based vehicles such as VW’s facelifted Transporter 6.1 deliver driving dynamics approaching those of saloons and SUVs – and demand tyres that are up to the job. Specialist publication Promobil put the new VW T6.1 through its paces fitted with eight brands of size 235/55 R17 tyre – all reinforced ‘C’ (for commercial) models – and found a clear winner.

More than a year after its counterpart for conventional saloons came to market, Goodyear is introducing the UltraGrip Performance+ SUV. This addition to the range covers the growing SUV and crossover market by offering consumers a “technology-packed winter tyre that increases the versatility and contributes to the safety of their vehicles.”