Goodyear launches UltraGrip Performance Gen-1

UltraGrip is the family name given to Goodyear’s winter tyre portfolio, and so far a total of 60 million UltraGrip tyres have been sold since the moniker first graced a sidewall.

This year sees the introduction of a successor to the UltraGrip 8 Performance winter tyre – the UltraGrip Performance Gen-1. Shipments to retailers began in June 2015.

Goodyear says the new tyre offers excellent grip and handling in a range of winter conditions. Tread pattern siping has been improved since the last generation, the tyre maker adds, and this now features an interlocking system. The tread pattern itself has been “evolved” and contains a high number of block activators to provide excellent grip and high handling performance in all winter conditions.

The footprint shape is squarer than on the UltraGrip 8 Performance and it offers a more uniform distribution of pressure and therefore improved performance on dry and icy roads throughout the tyre’s life. Water is dispelled from the contact area through “hydrodynamic” grooves; Goodyear says that compared with the predecessor tyre, the UltraGrip Performance Gen-1 offers improved aquaplaning and slush resistance on wet and slushy roads.

But for Goodyear the most important improvement can be seen when the UltraGrip Performance Gen-1 brakes in the snow. The manufacturer commissioned TÜV SÜD Automotive to test the Goodyear against four leading competitors. The comparative tests between the Goodyear product and its unnamed rivals were performed using a BMW 320d fitted with size 225/50R17 98V tyres, and Goodyear says its tyre’s stopping distance was on average three percent shorter than the others.

“We are pleased to build on the Goodyear UltraGrip family with another winter tyre that prioritises safety,” shares Hans Vrijsen, Goodyear marketing director, Consumer EMEA. “We are committed to providing excellent grip on wet, ice and snow with performance for safe driving and braking regardless of the winter weather conditions ahead. We are especially proud of the shortest braking distance, as we know that’s of utmost importance to our consumers.”

The UltraGrip Performance Gen-1 passenger car tyre line-up includes 38 dimensions for mid-size and larger vehicles, in a range of fitments that go from SD/195 to 255; AR/40 to 65; RD/15’’ to 19’’.