Review of Gislaved EcoControl Summer Tires
This season, Cordiant is introducing two premium new products to the market, and we have already detailed the Gislaved ActiveControl, and now it's time for the Gislaved EcoControl model, which, as the name suggests, is designed to help save fuel - but it also has a number of other features.
As with ActiveControl, the developers were inspired by the concept of one of the products of Bridgestone, whose Ulyanovsk plant is now owned by Cordiant, and this time the eco-friendly Bridgestone Ecopia EP300, introduced in 2017, served as a prototype.
According to the manufacturer's statements, compared to the Ecopia, the wear resistance has remained at the same high level, as well as the characteristics on dry and wet asphalt, but the modifications and changes have made it possible to reduce the rolling resistance by 5%, which improves fuel economy. This was achieved, among other things, by optimizing the mass of the tire, which reduced heat generation and, consequently, energy consumption.
Like Bridgestone, the tread pattern includes blocks with beveled edges, which increase the contact area with the road and reduce the braking distance on dry asphalt, while the sidewalls of the grooves are inclined, which reduces the transverse deformation of the tread and improves stability when maneuvering. In addition, 3D elements are located between the blocks, which increase the longitudinal stiffness of the tread and stabilize the handling in various conditions.
To increase the resource of the tires, a special rubber compound with an "optimal balance of fillers" is used, while the tread pattern is optimized to improve both driving qualities and acoustic comfort.
In order to evaluate the characteristics of EcoControl, a comparison was made with a direct competitor - Ikon Autogrpaph Eco 3, another representative of the "new Russian premium". The tests showed that Gislaved has a slight advantage when performing a turn on wet pavement, and Ikon has an advantage when passing a turn on dry asphalt, but overall the tires showed themselves to be roughly equal.
Gislaved EcoControl is designed for the mass market and is available in 39 sizes from 175/65 R14 to 255/55 R19. The new products from Gislaved are manufactured at plants in Kaluga (formerly owned by Continental) and Ulyanovsk, and the manufacturer emphasizes that all tires undergo 300% quality control.