Tyre News

Déjà vu aplenty in the 2021 Auto Express all-season tyre test. This year the publication returned to the 205/55R16 size it last looked at two years back, and the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 that participated in the 2019 test was back as a contender in 2021. Same tester, same tyre, same size. But this is where the similarities end; whereas the Hankook tyre finished seventh in 2019, this year it won.

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.

Hyundai has selected the Kumho PorTran KC53 as the standard tyre for its new Staria MPV. The KC53 was primarily designed for European vans and LCVs, and it is an upgraded version of this pattern that Kumho Tire is now supplying in two sizes – 215/65R17C 108/105H and 235/55R18 104H XL – for fitment on the Staria.

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.

New research by TyreSafe suggests UK motorists are wasting between £600 million and £1 billion on unnecessary fuel bills driving on underinflated tyres. The road safety campaign group used information sourced from the Department for Transport, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and Michelin’s Fill Up With Air annual survey to model the effects of tyre underinflation on motorists’ wallets.

Patience is a virtue long needed by those awaiting the WinterContact TS 870, but it has finally paid dividends: Continental has debuted this successor to the WinterContact TS 860 as a ‘double act’ together with the WinterContact TS 870 P. The tyre maker originally intended to release these two new winter products individually, one after the other. The WinterContact TS 870’s launch should have taken place last autumn but Continental postponed it until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.