Apollo Tyres expands award-winning Vredestein all-season tyre range as demand rises sharply
Apollo Tyres is significantly expanding its range of Vredestein all-season tyres this autumn in response to fast-growing demand. The company is launching tyres in 25 new dimensions for wheel diameters from 15 to 22 inches, expanding its three award-winning Vredestein all-season product ranges for compact and family cars and SUVs (Quatrac), high-performance cars and SUVs (Quatrac Pro), and for commercial vehicles (Comtrac 2 all-season+).
Coinciding with the new product launches, Apollo Tyres has conducted new nationwide research* into the increasing popularity of all-season tyres. It found that 68% of car owners in the UK said that next time they purchase replacement tyres they would consider products that are specially designed to perform well in all conditions year-round, including dry, wet and snow.
This result echoes the increase in sales of all-season tyres. Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, the all-season segment has been growing at around 23% per annum across Europe.
New Vredestein all-season dimensions for autumn 2021
Available in 15 and 16 inches, the Quatrac is dedicated to the popular mid-segment market and offers a carefully optimised balance of performance in dry, wet and snow conditions. In addition to these features, the tyre also reduces the user’s environmental footprint through lower rolling resistance and a higher wear life. New for 2021 are Quatrac tyres in eight additional dimensions for 15-inch rims.
The Quatrac Pro is a high-performance tyre dedicated to more powerful cars and SUVs, and which is noted for its unrivalled wet gip and snow handling. The tyre is already available in multiple sizes for wheels from 17 to 21 inches in diameter, and this autumn sees the launch of 11 additional dimensions of Quatrac Pro, including – for the first time – for wheels 22 inches in diameter.
The Comtrac 2 all-season+, developed for light commercial vehicles, ensures high safety and comfort while driving with heavy loads in all weather conditions. A tailor-made compound means that the tyre retains high levels of wet and snow performance over long distances, perfectly suited for commercial use. Today, the Comtract 2 all-season+ is offered in 15 to 17 inches, and new for autumn 2021 are six new dimension options.
Heritage of all-season leadership and innovation
Vredestein tyres have been at the forefront of the all-season tyre market from the segment’s inception in the early 1990s, benefitting from the company’s knowledge of winter and summer tyres to deliver premium performance capabilities whatever the conditions.
Earlier this month Auto Zeitung, one of Germany’s leading motoring magazines, named the Vredestein Quatrac as its joint ‘Best All-Season Tyre’ for 2021. The tyre, which also won the publication’s ‘Price-Performance Recommendation’, faced tough competition from eight other products in the popular all-season category. In its test review Auto Zeitung stated the Quatrac “is in a class of its own” on wet asphalt in a wide range of temperatures, and highlighted the tyre’s high levels of grip even when driven at the limit. The publication added “the rolling resistance is low,” and on top of that it is “safe on snow and very good value.”
Last year the Quatrac was declared joint winner by Auto Bild Allrad in Germany in its prestigious annual tyre test, receiving the highest or second-highest mark in each of the fourteen test categories. In 2020 it also came second in a major test by Auto Bild of 32 all-season tyres. In 2019, the Vredestein brand was named ‘All-Season Manufacturer of the Year’ by Auto Bild, recognised by testers for its “exemplary all-season tyre with impressive qualities on ice and snow,” as well as its “dynamic driving characteristics” in wet and dry conditions.
“All-season tyres are becoming more popular due to increasingly unpredictable weather and growing demand for a cost-effective, year-round solution,” comments Yves Pouliquen, Sales & Marketing Director, at Apollo Tyres Europe. “Car owners don’t want to change tyres multiple times a year and are therefore seeking a versatile product that maintains a level of safety and grip through a wide range of weather conditions, including torrential rain and ice. These new dimensions for Vredestein all-season tyres will help us meet this demand and keep us at the forefront of this highly competitive segment.”
* Nationwide consumer survey conducted by OnePoll in 2021; 1,000 respondents