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In the test: The NOKIAN WR SUV 4 - What use is more than 250 HP if you don't get a single HP on the road? And who says a few centimeters more or less doesn't matter? In the case of emergency braking, a few centimeters can make the difference between “everything is good” and “everything is stupid”. What is particularly noticeable when cornering in summer, the grip level of a tire, is even more important in winter. That is why the legislature has also introduced the obligation to use appropriate tires in the StVo:
Since 2010 the StVO keeps more precise information Winter tires are mandatory ready in Germany. The law prescribes winter tires or tires which comply with Directive 92 / 23 / EEC must be used when "black ice, snow fall, slush, ice or frosted ice" prevails (§ 2 paragraph 3a StVO).
Winter tires - also an important topic in the Corona year 2020
At autohub.de we drive around 80.000 km per year on our own. That we open up there in winter too Change winter tiresis completely normal for us. It is not just a matter of good form, we also like to find out the advantages and disadvantages of different tires. Summer as well as winter. Usually, our test vehicles have already been fitted with the correct tires by the manufacturer. It is exciting to find out what preferences the manufacturers have. For our own vehicle fleet, we usually equip the vehicles with test tires in cooperation with the tire manufacturers.
This year the choice fell on the new:
NOKIAN WR SUV 4 in size 255 / 55-19
This was mounted on our new workhorse and towing vehicle, the Volkswagen Amarok V6 TDI. The Hanoverian pick-up has a 6-cylinder diesel with 258 hp and drives in everyday life with a fully variable all-wheel drive, baptized by VW 4motion. Drivers of all-wheel-drive vehicles in particular tend to believe that all-wheel drive would replace the right tire. Which of course is simply not true.
In everyday life, we pay particular attention to driving comfort, especially rolling comfort and noise, braking distances in snow and aquaplaning behavior. Grip is always there in an all-wheel drive vehicle - the “soft factors”, the points that you do not immediately feel when you first “drive off”, are therefore more important.
TEST: NOKIAN WR SUV 4
Traction and safety - the first 1.000 kilometers with the NOKIAN WR SUV 4
You have to run in tires. At least 500 kilometers, only then can an initial judgment be made. What caught our eye right from the start was the driving comfort of the NOKIAN WR SUV 4 - both in terms of the noise and the self-cushioning comfort of the tire, you can feel the massive progress in tire development - which it has made, although all the tires are still black and round are there from year to year.
Such a large tire - we're talking about a tire weight of 15 kg per tire and an additional 20 kg per rim - cannot be denied acoustically, but compared to the hard MT tire of the original equipment, the winter tire is simply an acoustic benefit.
Special features of a four-wheel drive vehicle
Winter tires on a four-wheel drive vehicle require a different view of the tire. Since grip is always available when starting, you have to pay attention to the cornering forces and the toothing during braking, especially when testing in the snow. Our test vehicle, the Volkswagen Amarok with 258 hp diesel, is not really at a loss for grip with its permanent and variable all-wheel drive. A tire that is easily recognizable and clearly understandable is approaching its liability limit, which is particularly necessary - because the sudden loss of grip in all-wheel drive vehicles can lead to particularly dangerous situations. Another special feature of pick-ups is the empty loading area. The lightly loaded rear axle requires a tire that builds up a lot of grip and always remains controllable.
The NOKIAN WR SUV 4 was able to convince in the first frost of the year with what felt like a safety gain. We are waiting for the first snow to experience the lateral guidance of the NOKIAN winter tire. Because the technology referred to by NOKIAN as “TwinTrac” should bring particular advantages here.
The Nokian profile also convinces in important discipline. In heavy rain and wet roads, the NOKIAN WR SUV 4 can score with a very good aquaplaning behavior. An effective water drainage from the treads provides safety and a controllable steering feel.
To solve the contradictions in the tires between cold and dry road and snow or wet as best as possible, the NOKIAN tire developers rely on a silica mixture.
Is the NOKIAN WR SUV 4 a Buy recommendation?
Absolutely. Even if, of course, a premium tire always costs more than a “cheap tire”. However, from our point of view and the, outweigh the advantages NOKIAN WR SUV 4 is a free online tire trade in our size already available from around 189 €. And comfort and security are definitely worth it to us!