Test of 18-inch summer tires from ABW — 2026
The Belarusian internet portal ABW conducted tests of summer tires in the size 215/55 R18, choosing four models from different price segments. The budget class was represented by Chinese tires Grenlander Estrella 88 from Shandong Longyue Rubber (part of the ZODO Group), in the mid-price segment - Nexen N'Fera RU1, and in the premium segment - Ikon Autograph Eco 3 (analog of Nokian Hakka Green 3) and Gislaved ActiveControl (developed by Cordiant based on the design of Bridgestone Alenza 001).
The list of participants also included all-season and winter tires - Belshina Artmotion All Seasons and Bridgestone Blizzak LM005, respectively - as experts wanted to show how they behave in summer conditions. The tests were conducted at the RSTC DOSAAF autodrome in Stayki (Minsk region) at a temperature of +14 °C, and the Belgee X50 crossover, very popular in the Belarusian market and equipped with the selected all-season tires from Belshina, was used as the power unit. The pilot was Master of Sports, track racing champion Alexander Yushkevich.
In the first discipline, handling on dry pavement was evaluated, and according to the lap time, Gislaved became the best, and the economical Ikon was able to overtake Nexen, although the Korean brand's tires, like ActiveControl, belong to the sports category. Grenlander took the last place, but their lag behind Nexen was not as significant as could be expected based on the price difference. In addition, it could be expected that all-season tires would outperform winter tires in such conditions, but this did not happen, and Bridgestone turned out to be ahead of Belshina, although we are talking about tenths of a second per lap, which is quite within the error.
According to the pilot, although Grenlander was the last among summer tires, the sensations were positive, as they behave predictably, and "you can predict in advance when skidding or drift will occur, all moments of braking are clear, which makes it easier to control the car. This is not a fighting tire, but for civil driving, it is more than enough for many people".
Regarding the Ikon kit, Yushkevich noted that it left ambiguous impressions. "By sensations, it is slightly worse than Grenlander," he said. "More squealing, more pulling of the car, forcing to change trajectory, but Ikon gives good grip in turns. At the same time, the lap time turned out to be better. It is important to note: there is an error in the measurements. While we "re-shoe" the car, return to the track, it becomes warmer here, the asphalt is slightly more heated, which can theoretically lead to an increase in grip".
On Gislaved tires, the pilot noted that "a fairly cool result was shown for civilian-type tires", and "if you want more, you need to put fighting tires", while regarding Nexen, he said that "this kit coped slightly worse than the average".
Yushkevich described his impressions of Belshina in more detail: "In the first two laps, we had a uniform grip. Further, on the third lap, the tire has already, as drivers say, "swum" - began to lose its properties. In principle, this happens with any tires. The question is, at what lap they start to lose their properties. In the city, you will never be able to heat up the tires like on the track, we have harsh conditions here. I conclude: for civil driving, these are normal tires. In a calm mode, I have no questions to Belshina: everything is quite smooth, soft. This is an all-season tire, so you should consider: in some parameters, it is closer to winter than to summer".
In the test for braking efficiency on a dry surface, the car was stopped from 80 km/h, and as a result, Gislaved, Ikon, and Grenlander showed almost identical results, sharing the first place, while Nexen had a braking distance two to three meters longer, and all-season tires, in accordance with their compromise nature, were worse than summer tires and better than winter tires. On a wet surface, the braking distance was measured from 60 km/h, and here Gislaved took the first place, and the budget Grenlander took the second place, followed by Ikon and Nexen.
A moose test was also conducted, which simulates an emergency obstacle avoidance, and in most runs, not a single cone was knocked down, and difficulties arose only on all-season and winter tires. As a result, Gislaved became the winner, and then Ikon, Grenlander, and Nexen were ranked.
As Yushkevich noted, Grenlander "showed quite good results in general", and it was possible to return to the strip without dropping speed, while regarding Ikon, he stated that "by sensations, both braking and moose test are more smeared than in the case of the previous Chinese tires". He had no questions about Gislaved tires, while Nexen "is slightly inferior to the above-mentioned summer competitors", in his words.
According to the results of the entire test, Gislaved ActiveControl was recognized as the best, leading in all disciplines, while Ikon Autogrraph Eco 3 slightly, but surpassed Grenlander Estrella 88, which was helped by better results in lap time and moose tests. Nexen N'Fera RU1 tires occupy the last line in the overall standings - like in all disciplines, except for the test of handling on dry pavement, where they were able to overtake Grenlander.
The test results were commented on by Dmitry Margolin, Deputy Director of the MegaSkład group of companies (which acted as a partner of ABW) for commercial issues, who noted that "the test does not claim scientific accuracy, besides, we lack tests for aquaplaning, which cannot be conducted in Belarus. But based on its results, we can draw several conclusions".
According to him, the test confirmed that driving in the summer on winter tires, even premium ones, "is far from the best idea", while "all-season tires" can be used "with a very calm driving style and observing an increased distance", but it is still better to choose seasonal tires. In addition, Grenlander tires have proven that "the Chinese tire industry is progressing as fast as the automotive industry of China".
"Grenlander Estrella 88 today pleased and even surprised," the expert said. "At their affordable price, these tires almost in all disciplines outperformed the Korean Nexen N'Fera RU1, which cost twice as much, did not fail anywhere, and in dry asphalt braking, they even turned out to be the best. A very balanced product, good combination of price and quality".
Regarding Gislaved and Ikon, Margolin noted that they "maintain the level of departed brands, which they are the heirs of". "The optimal choice, if the budget allows. Although it is not excluded that most drivers will never be able to reveal the potential of these tires," he said.