Bridgestone introduced a new non-studded winter tire

The Bridgestone Corporation has revealed details about its new Blizzak WZ-1 winter tire for passenger vehicles, which replaces the Blizzak VRX3 model, premiered in 2021.

According to Bridgestone, due to climate change, Japanese drivers may encounter various road surfaces during winter, from ice and snow to slush, wet, and dry asphalt. As a result, winter tires must be more versatile and provide the necessary safety in all conditions. For this reason, the Blizzak WZ-1 is the first Bridgestone winter tire to utilize the Enluite technological platform, which enhances various product characteristics. The manufacturer emphasizes that the new tire is not only effective on different road surfaces but also offers the highest level of ice grip in the Blizzak lineup's history, which has been on the market since 1988.

The Blizzak WZ-1 features a new tread pattern with L-shaped lamellas, which, in combination with micro-bubbles and hydrophilic polymer in the rubber compound, increase traction on icy roads. Compared to the Blizzak VRX3, the braking efficiency on icy surfaces has been increased by 11%, and cornering stability by 4%.

The WZ Motion Line technology, inherited from the Regno GR-XII summer tire, is also used, which, according to the manufacturer, provides even pressure distribution in the contact patch. This allows the tires to work reliably on different road surfaces, from compacted snow to slush, and also reduces the braking distance on wet roads and improves acoustic comfort and ride smoothness.

To ensure the tires remain effective over time, special polymers are added to the compound, which allow the rubber mixture to retain its softness even after four years of use, stabilizing the ice grip level, adds Bridgestone. Additionally, the high silica content in the rubber compound enhances traction on wet surfaces.

The new Bridgestone tires will be released on the Japanese market on September 1 in 119 sizes, ranging from 145/80 R13 to 265/50 R22.