Choose safety and environmental friendliness when buying tyres

Nokian tests in the most extreme conditions of the north and is multiple test winner

Nokian Z G2: nine new sizes and “very recommendable” from ADAC in the last UHP summer tyre test

ADAC rates Nokian H also “very recommendable”

New DSI Satisfaction by Nokian

The most important criteria for buying tyres are safety and environmental friendliness. Safety pays above all in dangerous situations, and particularly on wet roads.

The Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian Tyres tests tyres in the most extreme conditions of the north. Roads in poor condition with holes and uneven surface, wet because of the heavy rain with suddenly changing demanding conditions are its test tracks. Large fluctuations in temperature are typical. Nokian is the expert for extreme conditions and tests summer tyres also in cool temperatures which is unique. As its premium tyres are very safe in these hard conditions, they run excellently in nice weather as well as on sound asphalt and have enough reserves for dangerous situations.

Excellent wet grip for high safety

Testing on wet roads is very important because here the tyres have lower road holding than on dry. On its own proving ground in Nokia, situated in the south of Finland, the company tests the wet grip on a circle to measure a tyre’s latitudinal grip. This simulates driving in a curve. The car shall not drift too far to the outside. In wet handling the driver evaluates the characteristics of the tyres, additionally the lap times give information about the quality. The tyres shall be predictable to prevent the car driver from experiencing dangerous surprises.

A short braking distance on wet roads can prevent an accident, as braking distances in rain are longer than many car drivers believe. Nokian tests the braking performance on several different surface types with different friction coefficients, this means under hardest loads, too.

No car driver wants to aquaplane on wet roads, as here the wagon can not be steered and can not brake any more, either. The best way to avoid aquaplaning is with new tyres where the tread geometry pumps the water away from under the tyre. Once tyres have less than 4 millimetres of groove depth their ability to grip in the wet weakens significantly.

Longitudinal aquaplaning, which occurs during driving straight ahead, is tested on a track that features a tank in which test cars are driven in a straight line. The speed at which the car aquaplanes and therefore looses the grip is measured. The water depth can be up to 15 millimetres and make increased demands on the tyres, as in the tests of the most important magazines the water is only seven millimetres deep. During lateral aquaplaning it is measured when the wagon is drifting out of the curve. Eight millimetres are again increased demands, as normally testing is done only with four millimetres. The curve inclination accounts to few per cent, therefore simulating an additional danger. The outer part of the curve lies lower and the inner higher, it is „hanging“. This is why you can take off there more quickly.

Speed, grip and precise reaction decide in the dry tests

During the dry trials on the handling track the test driver evaluates subjectively the driving behaviour in varying conditions. Quick shifts in direction by lane changes and elk tests show the limits among the others. These correspond to the typical driving situations during taking over and avoiding, where speed gives high safety and where the grip and the stability of the tyres are crucial. They shall at once react precisely to the steering wheel movements. The slalom measures the lane stability during sudden changes of direction. Heavy duty, the rear can be pulling.

Additionally to all this intensive driving Nokian Tyres tests also worldwide for years on high speed tracks like Papenburg, Germany, Idiada, Spain, and in South Africa. This is necessary to improve tyre properties under maximum speeds loadings. Especially in case of UHP tyres (UHP = ultra high performance).

Nokian Z G2 rated “very recommendable” in ADAC tyre test

Because of the tests in extreme conditions the premium tyres have a high quality. Nokian is multiple test winner with more than 70 years of experience. The tests of the leading magazines do prove this. The ultra high speed tyre Nokian Z G2 is “very recommendable” according to the “ADAC judgement” in the UHP summer tyre test 2009 of the German automobile association ADAC. The Finnish premium tyre is praised very positively in the “short comments”: “+ Very balanced summer tyre”, “+ Very good on wet road”, “+ Very good on dry road / asphalt”. In the test criteria “dry conditions” the Nokian Z G2 got the mark 1.7, in “wet conditions” 2.2 and in durability 2.5. The fuel consumption is also low: 2.9 which is below the “very recommendable” mark limit, too. Nokian’s tyre proves its high safety excellently in the important driving qualities stability with mark 1.4, handling 1.5 and braking on wet road with 1.9.

16 tyres of size 205/55 R 16 W competed in the test of the biggest automobile association in the world. “Very recommendable” is the best possible judgement.

Nokian H rated “very recommendable” in ADAC tyre test

The “ADAC judgement” for the Nokian H in the summer tyre test 2010 of the ADAC is also “very recommendable”. The nice “short comments” are: “+ Very balanced summer tyre with best mark on dry road + good on wet road”. In the different test criteria the Nokian H got these fine marks: dry 1.8, wet 2.3, fuel consumption 2.6 and durability 2.7. The top judgements in the important driving properties show the high safety of the Nokian tyre in handling wet with mark 1.5, driving stability dry 1.6 and curve wet with 2.0.

„The Nokian H combines driving safety, precision and environmental parameters in an excellent way,“ says Teppo Huovila, Vice President Research & Development of Nokian Tyres. “This is the second time in row that Nokian tyres are honoured with “very recommendable” as 2009 Nokian Z G2 got this ADAC rating in the UHP test. Furthermore you protect the environment with the Nokian branded tyres twice, because they are produced only with harmless low-aromatic oils. 19 tyres of size 185/65 R 15 H have been compared in the test.

The ADAC executed the test together with the renowned consumer protection organisation Stiftung Warentest. The “test quality judgement: Nokian H good (2.4)”, whereas “good” was the best judgement. Only two tyres got the top recommendations “very recommendable” and “our advice” in both magazines, one of them is Nokian H. Additionally Nokian H was the overwhelming winner of the ACE/GTÜ summer tyre test 2009 (ACE = European Automobile Association).

New DSI satisfaction by Nokian

The tyres of Nokian Tyres are developed, tested and manufactured in the demanding conditions of the north. They offer the best possible performance even in the most extreme conditions. If a buyer is not content with his new summer tyres of Nokian by any reason, he is allowed to exchange them for another set of tyres at his dealer within 14 days. Mounting and balancing are free of charge. This is the Nokian DSI satisfaction concept. More information and terms: www.nokiantyres.com/dsi-satisfaction_eng

Nanotechnology: outstanding wet grip, precise driving response

Thanks to nanotechnology the premium tyre Nokian Z G2 immediately reacts quicker to steering movements and convinces with precise handling as well as outstanding wet grip. It is high-performing, safe, wear resistant and in demanding driving conditions considerably stronger than competitor products, as its development engineers of Nokian Tyres say.

More safety: aquaplaning indicator and driving safety indicator

An aquaplaning indicator warns of aquaplaning with a drop symbol in the DSI driving safety indicator. It fades when the remaining profile is only four millimetres, pointing to a higher risk. To avoid aquaplaning the main grooves must have a minimum depth of four millimetres. The car driver can easily read the profile depth as number of 8 to 2.

Environmentally friendly: saves fuel and without high-aromatic oils

Car drivers should choose tyres, which are safe, but also environmentally friendly at the same time. The “very recommendable” premium tyre Nokian Z G2 saves even half a litre of fuel per 100 kilometres compared to other comparable tyres, as it has a lower rolling resistance. 40 per cent difference in rolling resistance saves six per cent fuel. This is 300 Euros less over a normal driving distance of 40,000 kilometres,“ knows R & D expert Huovila. Furthermore this eco tyre produces fewer CO2 emissions. Moreover it does not contain harmful high-aromatic oils. Like all tyres from the own factories it is produced environmentally friendly only with purified oils.

Environmentally friendliness belongs to the core values of Nokian Tyres, all its tyres are green and have high mileages. The company is the world's first tyre manufacturer to have introduced purified, low-aromatic oils in its production, and this already since the end of 2004. All tyres produced with high-aromatic oils after 1 January 2010 are not allowed to be sold any longer according to the EU regulation.

Actually the Scandinavian specialist and multiple test winner Nokian Tyres is known for its excellent winter tyres, but it also produces outstanding summer tyres performing well in three very different seasons – spring, summer and autumn.

Nokian Tyres s.r.o
Phone +420 222 507 761
Fax +420 241 940 635
dieter.koppner(at)nokiantyres.com
V Parku 2336/22
148 00 Praha 4
Czech Republic

Photo download:

https://www.nokiantyres.com/testingsummer
https://www.nokiantyres.com/NokianZG2
https://www.nokiantyres.com/nokianh

Sources:

ADAC summer tyres test 2009:
http://www1.adac.de/Tests/Reifentests/Sommerreifen/205_55_R16/default.asp?ComponentID=242487&SourcePageID=8772
ADACmotorwelt, issue 3 March 2009

ADAC summer tyre test 2010:
http://www1.adac.de/Tests/Reifentests/Sommerreifen/default.asp?ComponentID=4795&SourcePageID=8762
ADACmotorwelt, issue 3 March 2010

Stiftung Warentest summer tyre test 2010:
test, issue 3/2010
http://www.test.de/themen/auto-verkehr/test/-Sommerreifen/1847449/1847449/1848008/

Press contact:
Dr. Falk Köhler PR
Dr. Falk Köhler
Phone: +49 40 54 73 12 12
Fax: +49 40 54 73 12 22
E-mail: Dr.Falk.Koehler(at)Dr-Falk-Koehler.de
Ödenweg 59
22397 Hamburg
Germany

Further information:

Nokian Tyres s.r.o
Business Director Central Europe Dieter Köppner, Phone: +420 222 507 761
Product Development Manager Sven Dittmann Dipl.-Ing., Phone: +49 8143 / 444 850
www.nokiantyres.com

Nokian Tyres plc
Vice President R & D Teppo Huovila, Phone: +358 10 401 7701
Product Manager Petri Niemi, Phone: +358 10 401 7646
E-mail: [email protected]