Drivers in the UK and Europe are turning to all-season tyres in growing numbers. Cooper Tire Europe aims to meet demand with an entirely new range, the Cooper Discoverer All Season.
Cooper Tire says the tyre is “designed to deliver reliable traction in unpredictable weather all year round.” A three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) mark can be seen on the sidewall, and this is reassuring. Confirming compliance with safety regulations, 3PMSF is a must when selecting all-season or winter rubber.
Year-round suitability promised by the 3PMSF mark is delivered via the tread compound and the tread pattern. Cooper Tire says the compound includes the “latest all-season silica and resin technology.” The tread pattern features lateral narrow grooves in the tread blocks (3D siping) as well as wider grooves between these blocks. Both work to remove water from the contact patch.
Wet grip at premium level
Rubber compound, tread pattern and construction come together in a tyre rated ‘B’ for wet grip. This EU label wet grip result rivals the those of premium rivals such as Goodyear’s Vector 4Seasons Gen-2 and the Continental AllSeasonContact. Other EU label values are a ‘C’ for fuel efficiency – a respectable result for an all-season tyre – as well as two soundwaves for noise.
As for mileage, Cooper Tire Europe states its all-new tyre is “built to last and to deliver superior wear results.” It supports this claim with results of independent tests conducted in the UK by PT&A Ltd. These show the Discoverer All Season delivers at least 20 per cent greater tyre life than a rival tyre. Cooper doesn’t name this rival, only calling it a product from a “leading European tyre manufacturer.” We’d have liked Cooper to name the competitor, as well as the tested tyre size, to give its mileage boast greater context.
We can expect a “wide range of sizes.” At present, the Cooper brand’s UK website lists a total of six Discoverer All Season dimensions for 16- to 18-inch rim diameters as available.
