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TYRETEST2019
CarbuyersarechoosingmoreSUVsthesedays,sowe’vefollowedsuitwithourannualtyretest.We’ve
evaluatedeighttyresspecificallydesignedtocopewiththedifferentchallengesthatSUVspose.
Inassociationwith
THERE’SnodoubtthatSUVsarethecurrenthot
ticketfordrivers,withjustabouteverymaker
slottingone–andoftenmore–intoitsline-up.
Thischangeoffocushasalsoseentyremakers
revamptheirranges.SUVsareusuallyheavier
thantheequivalenthatchback,aswellastaller,
andoftencomewithfour-wheeldrive.Thisplaces
differentdemandsontyres,sosomemakershave
developedSUV-specificranges,whileothershave
adaptedexistingdesigns.Andhere,inourfirst
testoftyresforthecurrentgenerationofSUVs,
wefindoutwhohasdonethebestjob.
Althoughoverallsalesvolumesremainlow
comparedtothe16,17and18-inchtyreswe
usuallytest,wechoseoneofthefastest-growing
sizes,withthebiggestshareofthemarket,
basedon2018figures:235/50R18.
Thiswasfittedasstandardonoldermodels
oftheAudiQ3,BMWX3andVWTiguan,aswell
astheMercedesGLAandVolvoXC70.However,
despitetheoff-roadnatureofmanySUVs,our
testingremainedthesame,becausepreciousfew
ventureawayfromtarmacandnoneofthesetyres
isdesignedspecificallytocopewithmudorgravel.
Wealsocontinuedtoaskmakerstonominate
theirmostsuitabletyre,andboughttheseinthe
wholesalemarkettoensurewetestwhatyoubuy.
SowhichoneshouldyouputonyourSUV?We
headedtoContinental’sUvaldeprovingground
inTexaswitheightoptionstofindout.
KimAdams
[email protected]
@AE_Consumer
7August2019
