Tyre News

After conducting half a dozen all-season and winter tyre tests this year, Auto Bild is well positioned to identify and acknowledge the manufacturers who have consistently produced safe, well-performing tyres. It has now done so, naming Pirelli its star amongst the all-season tyre makers for 2024/25 and Michelin the leading manufacturer of winter tyres. Continental and Goodyear secure a podium place for both categories.

The Continental winter tyre portfolio has grown with the addition of the WinterContact 8 S. From launch, this new winter tyre for high-performance vehicles will be available in fitments for 19- to 22-inch rim diameters and rated up to W, for speeds as high as 168 mph (270 km/h). All dimensions are EU tyre label ‘B’ rated for rolling resistance.

BMW Group has announced that the second generation of its BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé will arrive in March 2025, promising that the car will set “a new standard in the premium compact segment.” Order books are now open in the UK, with prices starting at £34,915 on the road. BMW has approved a range of tyres for UK deliveries, including run-flat and winter tyres.

Earlier this year, when Sportauto tested examined five brands of size 215/40 R18 summer tyres, it included an all-season product in its testing. This premium all-season tyre struggled against the summer tyres at temperatures well above the 20-degree mark, prompting the motoring magazine to conclude that “the all-season tyre is just a compromise” in summer conditions, especially when paired with sportsters such as the Hyundai i20 N it used for testing. Sportauto still holds this opinion, but it has now tested six all-season tyres – again in size 215/40 R18 – to see if the compromise label applied in cooler conditions.

Many motorists believe the added traction of four-wheel drive is all that’s needed for surefooted driving on snow or ice, but fitting the right tyre is just as important, arguably even more so. Winter tyres, a niche product in the UK, are unbeatable should you need grip in these harshest of conditions. To help find the right product, Auto Bild Allrad tested 12 brands of size 245/45 R18 winter tyres for SUVs and 4x4s on snowy, wet and dry roads. The motoring publication’s test team also added a summer tyre to its test programme, and this provided some interesting results.

A survey commissioned by Apollo Tyres Ltd. suggests that 65 per cent of motorists in the UK would now consider going all-season when next replacing their tyres. The result of this OnePoll survey of 1,000 UK respondents reflects the continued growing popularity of tyres designed to perform well in conditions encountered throughout the entire year.