In addition to similar solutions for passenger cars, the Finnish manufacturer has prepared a new friction tire for crossovers and urban SUVs for the upcoming winter season. The novelty is called Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 SUV and it uses the same progressive technical solutions that were recently used in the tire with the same name, but without the SUV prefix.
Nokian Cryo Crystal technology in Scandinavian tires
This name hides a combination of a new tread pattern and an innovative rubber compound developed specifically for the latest winter tires. One of the main innovations of the rubber compound was the multangular particles, the shape of which resembles crystals. These particles literally bite into the surface of the icy road, providing more reliable traction. At the same time, tire wear has a minimal effect on traction characteristics, thanks to the changed technology of preparing the rubber compound, which ensured a more even distribution of crystal particles.
In addition to them, the tread compound contains silica, cryosilane, rapeseed oil, and natural rubber, the optimal ratio of which made it possible to achieve excellent traction, both on ice and snow, and on wet roads. Moreover, the tread has become more resistant to wear and tear, thanks to the use of environmentally friendly rapeseed oil. Testing in real conditions showed that the new rubber compound was able to significantly reduce the difference between studded and non-studded tires, especially on icy surfaces.
New tread pattern
For crossovers and SUVs, the balance of traction characteristics and handling is very important. Moreover, they must be stable and allow the driver to quickly respond to changes in road conditions.
The new tire has a more aggressive tread pattern compared to the previous model, with an increased number of lamellas. Thanks to this, the contact patch has more sharp edges, which significantly improved traction on icy surfaces. At the same time, the lamellas have become wider, which made it possible to ensure a more reliable grip on ice bumps, and the opening grooves in the shoulder areas have become better at cleaning the tread from snow slush.
For the same purpose, Finnish tire manufacturers made the walls of the side drainage grooves polished, which allowed the tread to more effectively get rid of snow. In addition, special teeth are located in the shoulder areas, which easily penetrate through snow slush and grab onto the hard surface, providing more reliable traction on roads covered with thawed snow.
The increase in traction on snowy roads was also contributed by the lamella activators, which are now located not only in the shoulder areas of the tread but also in its central part. When in contact with the road surface, the lamellas open, creating additional traction edges, making the contact between the tire and the road more reliable.
This model, like other tires from this Finnish manufacturer, is equipped with patented pump lamellas, which increase the efficiency of the drainage system. However, this tire has received pump lamellas of increased capacity, which made it possible to increase the volume of water removed from the contact patch. As a result, traction on wet roads has become even more effective.
In this tire, the central rib is combined with the tread blocks located next to it. This solution made it possible to significantly increase the stiffness of the central part of the tread, which gave the tire a number of advantages. First of all, the directional stability improved, making movement on winter roads safer. In addition, the distribution of external pressure became more even, thanks to which the handling of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 SUV tire acquired stability and predictability. As a result, the driver got the opportunity to more objectively assess the traction characteristics with the road surface and take measures in case of their change. Moreover, due to the more rigid central part, the external pressure became more evenly distributed over the contact patch, which increased the durability of the tread to premature wear.
Vibration load has decreased significantly. This was achieved thanks to the multi-layered tread, the outer layer of which is made of a more elastic rubber compound, and the inner layers are made more rigid. Due to this, it is possible to more effectively soften the shocks and vibrations that occur when driving over bumps.
Driving Safety Indicator
The presence of tread wear indicators DSI on the tread has significantly increased the comfort of daily tire use. Its main functional purpose is to show the driver the remaining depth of the tread pattern. As the tread wears out, the corresponding numbers disappear from the surface. The disappearance of the indicator in the form of a snowflake means that the depth of the tread pattern is less than 4 mm, and the tire is no longer suitable for use in winter conditions.
Main features of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 SUV tire
- A more aggressive, compared to its predecessor, symmetrical directional tread pattern provides excellent traction with any winter surface;
- New crystal particles, evenly distributed in the rubber compound, provide more reliable traction characteristics on ice;
- An increased number of lamellas, thanks to which the contact patch has additional traction edges;
- Special teeth between the tread blocks provide higher resistance to splash planing;
- Pump lamellas have significantly improved water removal from the contact patch, ensuring more reliable traction on wet roads.
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