New Vredestein tyre leads the all-season pack in the wet thanks to unique tread design

The all-new Vredestein Quatrac Pro 2 ultra-high-performance all-season tyre will be the first in the segment to secure ‘A’ ratings for both wet grip and exterior noise across all sizes, thanks in part to a unique tread design that incorporates both longitudinal and directional grooves.

Engineered to be a breakthrough, ‘do-everything’ performance-focused product, the all-season Vredestein Quatrac Pro 2 has been designed and developed in Europe by Apollo Tyres Ltd, and will be manufactured at the company’s advanced production facility in Hungary.

Unlike all other products in the UHP all-season category, the Vredestein Quatrac Pro 2 will feature longitudinal grooves, maximising the tyre’s ability to resist aquaplaning and delivering superior standards of braking performance, grip and traction in wet conditions. All sizes of Quatrac Pro 2 will incorporate four longitudinal grooves, as well as directional lateral grooves to support highly efficient water evacuation.

Conventional all-season tyres omit these longitudinal grooves in order to prioritise traction on snow, leading to an unpleasant ride due to higher noise. However, the Apollo Tyres R&D team has found innovative ways to ensure the Quatrac Pro 2 is a segment-leading ‘wet champion’ without compromising on the tyre’s noise and overall comfort. Despite this refinement-focused approach, the tyre still carries the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) marking, confirming certified winter performance without compromising comfort, noise levels or wet-weather capability.

For example, at the shoulder of the tyre, the sipes – the tiny slits in the tread blocks – are of an advanced ‘3D interlocking’ type. In contrast to conventional sipes that have a straight cut, the inner faces are zig-zagged in both horizontal and vertical planes to limit tread block movement. This allows the tyre to maintain structural stability under load – for example, when cornering at higher speeds – while still providing the flexibility required for effective grip on snow-covered surfaces.

The combination of the unique tread pattern design and construction helps the Quatrac Pro 2 to maintain a consistent and predictable contact patch for stable handling characteristics even during aggressive cornering.

Dry handling and braking performance are further enhanced by a continuous centre rib, a feature not commonly found in all-season tyres. The centre rib increases contact patch stability, improving steering precision and helping to shorten braking distances on both wet and dry road surfaces.

Refinement without compromise

Building on the acoustic performance of the previous Quatrac Pro, the new tyre incorporates an optimised multi-pitch tread block sequence designed to minimise noise and reduce resonance. The irregular arrangement of tread blocks creates a more refined acoustic signature, while the number of pitches is scaled according to tyre diameter and the pitch sequence is optimised to deliver the best noise performance for every size. This balance of characteristics gives all sizes of Quatrac Pro 2 an ‘A’ label rating for noise.

“The tread design of the Quatrac Pro 2 reflects a new approach to all-season tyre development,” says Daniele Lorenzetti, Chief Technology Officer, at Apollo Tyres Ltd. “By combining features typically associated with ultra-high-performance summer tyres with carefully engineered elements for traction in wet and winter conditions, we have created a tyre that delivers strong braking response and confident handling year-round.”