Three new winter tires from Gislaved enter the market

The Cordiant holding is introducing three new premium-class winter tire models under the Gislaved brand: the friction ArcticControl and studded IceControl and SpikeControl (the first two were available for sale last year, but the full-scale release took place in 2025), which are manufactured in Kaluga and Ulyanovsk.

All three new products have received tread patterns from the tires of the former owners of the plants that are now part of Cordiant, and in the case of Gislaved ArcticControl, the "donor" was the Continental VikingContact 7 model. The design is characterized by an optimized system of water-removing grooves and traction edges with inter-block bridges and a large number of 3D lamellas, and the rhomboid shape of the blocks increases the contact area with the road and improves the even distribution of loads, improving handling.

A rubber compound with an increased silica content and the addition of rapeseed oil is used in production, which, according to the manufacturer, increases traction on wet and snowy roads, while special polymer additives have increased wear resistance, including during intensive use. The tires are produced in 41 sizes with a mounting diameter from 15 to 21 inches.

Those who prefer studded tires are offered Gislaved IceControl (with a design from Continental IceContact 2), and in Cordiant, they note that due to the fact that the contact patch always contains a constant number of studs, and around them, there are reservoirs for ice chips, the braking distance is reduced, traction is improved, and the noise level is reduced. At the same time, studs are installed in both shoulder and central blocks, which should increase safety on ice and compacted snow. The number of studs in the 205/55 R16 size is 190 pieces, which is generally in line with current market trends.

The tire has an asymmetric tread pattern, and the increased number of traction edges and stepped notches in the inner section allows for the capture of a large amount of snow, increasing traction, while sinusoidal lamellas with an "expressed effect of mutual block closure" increase the transverse stiffness of the tread, improving handling in various conditions. The company adds that the asymmetric design not only increases safety but also reduces noise and improves ride smoothness.

IceControl is made from a compound with a low glass transition temperature, which allows the tires to work effectively in a wide range of winter conditions, and the lineup includes 36 sizes from 15 to 21 inches.

Another studded novelty is the Gislaved SpikeControl (the tread pattern is taken from the Bridgestone Blizzak Spike-02) which has a V-shaped directional tread pattern that accelerates water and snow removal, and the efficiency of the tires in this regard is also improved due to the optimal angles of the traction edges. In the central zone of the tread, there are two-dimensional notches that open to enhance traction on ice and snow, while 3D lamellas in the shoulder sections increase the block stiffness and reduce the braking distance.

The tires are equipped with directional studs, the square shape of which prevents them from rotating in the mounting hole, which makes them more securely held in the tread, while the oval hard alloy insert should increase the effectiveness of braking and overall traction on ice. In all sizes, the studs are arranged in 14 lines, and their number in the 205/55 R16 size is 116 pieces, which is relatively small by today's standards.

The composition of the SpikeControl rubber compound is designed to increase wear resistance while maintaining optimal elasticity, while the rectangular shoulder fins with additional lateral lugs are designed to increase traction when driving in deep snow. The tires are available in 44 sizes with a diameter from 13 to 20 inches.

The Gislaved brand was created in Sweden in 1893, and in 1992, it was acquired by the German Continental together with the company Nivis Tyre (which was created by the merger of Gislaved and Viking), which in 2023, as part of the sale of Russian assets, transferred the rights to the brand to the Cordiant holding, along with production technologies and rubber compound recipes.

Currently, the holding includes five production sites: two in Omsk and one in Yaroslavl, Kaluga, and Ulyanovsk, with the last two plants being purchased from Continental and Bridgestone, respectively. The total capacity of all enterprises is 15 million tires per year, which makes Cordiant one of the largest tire manufacturers in Russia, and in 2024, the company became the leader in retail sales of passenger tires in the country.

This season, Cordiant is also releasing a new studded tire, Cordiant Snow-Max 7000, which belongs to a lower price segment compared to products under the Gislaved brand.