The Garage 333

NEWS
Improved choice and new accolades
for Vredestein winter tyre ranges
Wintrac and Wintrac
Pro available in 23 new
dimensions; acclaimed for
‘exemplary’ performance
Apollo Tyres is significantly broadening
its portfolio of award-winning
Vredestein winter tyres this year
with the launch of products in 23 new
dimensions. Available in diameters from
15 to 22 inches, the new tyres are suitable
for compact, family cars and SUVs
(Wintrac), and high-performance cars
and SUVs (Wintrac Pro). The arrival of the
new products coincides with a host of
new accolades for the Vredestein winter
ranges, conferred by leading European
tyre testers.
The latest Vredestein Wintrac, which
is being launched in 11 new sizes, is
engineered to deliver confidence-inspiring
grip on snow- and ice-affected roads.
Available for 15- and 16-inch wheels,
the Wintrac features a new-generation
high-density silica compound that extends
tyre life up to an additional 10,000km
compared to the previous-generation tyre.
There is a 10% improvement in resistance
to aquaplaning thanks to improved tread
design, and 5% more rubber in contact
with the road significantly improves grip on
wet and snow surfaces.
The Vredestein Wintrac Pro range, which
provides unrivalled performance in the
harshest weather conditions at speeds
of up to up to 300km/h, is expanded this
year with the launch of 12 new dimensions
for wheels 17- to 22-inches in diameter.
Compared to its predecessor, the latest
Wintrac Pro offers 15% better handling in
the snow and 10% better braking in the
wet, and has a speed rating of Y in most
sizes.
Podium places in leading winter
tyres tests
Both the Wintrac and Wintrac Pro
have performed exceptionally well in
a number of leading group tyre tests,
establishing the superiority of Apollo Tyres
and its Vredestein products in extreme
environments.
In Autobild’s largest winter tyre review
where 50 products were tested, the
Wintrac achieved third place overall;
praised for its “convincing all-round
talent with dynamic driving characteristics
on wet and dry roads, precise steering
response, and low rolling resistance.”
The Wintrac also placed third in Auto
Motor und Sport’s 2021 winter test,
with the German automobile magazine
recognising the popular Vredestein tyre
in particular for its ‘performance-price’
characteristics. The Wintrac beat
products from a host of leading European
tyre makers, and received a ‘very good’
overall rating.
The Wintrac Pro has also won recent
acclaim, finishing third overall in the
AutoBild Sportscars test of winter tyres,
receiving an ‘exemplary award’ for
“convincing all-round talent with very
good winter and wet qualities, stable wet
and dry handling, and low price level.”
Additionally, the Wintrac Pro finished
fourth overall in the recent AutoBild Allrad
test of SUV winter tyres, winning praise
for being a “winter specialist with good
performance on wet and snowy roads,”
and for its “short snow and wet braking
distances, high aquaplaning safety, and [its
low] price.”
In a collaboration between European
car clubs, Allgemeiner Deutscher
Automobil-Club (ADAC), Europe’s largest
motoring association and Touring Club
Suisse (TCS), the largest Mobility Club in
Switzerland, tested both of the Vredestein
winter tyre ranges against leading rivals.
The Wintrac finished fourth overall,
performing well on wet and snow, and
achieved first place for its grip on ice.
Labelled “very recommendable” by the
TCS reviewers, the Wintrac impressed TCS
for being a “very balanced tyre”, for its
durability, and for its low fuel consumption
compared to rivals. The Wintrac Pro also
performed well and was praised for its
performance on both snow and ice, as
well as on dry and wet surfaces. Like
the Wintrac, it performed well in fuel
consumption tests.
In Auto Zeitung, the Wintrac Pro
outperformed other tyres in wet and
icy conditions. In particular, the tyre
impressed the testers with the best
traction and deceleration in the snow, as
well as extremely high grip levels in the
wet. The German publication said the
Wintrac Pro tyre is ‘Highly recommended’
and also named it the “price-performance
champion.”
Daniele Lorenzetti, Chief Technology
Officer at Apollo Tyres, said: “The
winter segment is highly competitive
and Vredestein products remain in high
demand thanks to our continued focus
on innovation and performance, and our
investment in design and materials. These
new tyres are engineered to tackle some
of the very worst winter conditions, and
it’s very rewarding to see the efforts of
our R&D team recognised by some of the
leading tyre testers in Europe.”
22 THE GARAGE
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