It is the tyres that makes a vehicle grip the road in snow and icy conditions, not the vehicle drive system. There are several factors that help make Winter tyres so effective to use in cold conditions.
Tread compound
Tread compound is designed to remain flexible in extremely cold temperatures. The SUV Winter Silica compound has been designed to operate reliably under varying conditions and at higher speeds. This tread compound ensures the excellent grip and wear resistance of the winter tyre under all temperatures. Normal summer tyres are less effective when temperatures drop below 7°C when the compound becomes harder offering less grip.
Tread design
Tread design specifically optimized for maximium traction in low temperature ice and snow conditions The aggressive deep directional tread enhances the tyres ability to dig through snow. The deep transverse grooves combined with the strong, arrow-like directional tread and polished main grooves effectively remove water and slush. They are very effective at preventing treacherous slush-planing and aquaplaning.
Sipes in the tread blocks
The many fine cuts, sipes, in the tread blocks enhance flexibility and increase the number of biting edges to grip packed snow. Nokian ‘pump siping’ improves the grip on wet ice and boost the functionality of the sipes under the most slippery conditions and have excellent self cleaning characteristics in wet snow and slush to prevent slush-planing. The 3D Lock Sipes on SUV tyres differ from straight sipes in that they support the tread block even as the sipe opens and they improve the handling of the tyre especially when cornering
Polished grooves & tread pattern
Polished grooves Together with the deep transverse grooves and the strong, arrow-like tread pattern, the polished grooves effectively remove water and slush from the surface of the tyre. They are effective at preventing treacherous slush-planing and aquaplaning. Snow, slush and water flow efficiently off the polished grooves under the tyre.
Driving Safety Indicator (DSI)
The numbers on the centre tread makes it easy to check the remaining tread in millimetres. Winter Safety Indicator (WSI) remains visible to a groove depth of four millimetres and indicates when new winter tyres are required to ensure continued safety.
