Auto Express – August 07, 2019

62 7August2019 http://www.autoexpress.co.uk

TYRE TEST 2019

OURtestshaveseenasteady
improvementfortheFalkenFK510.
ItwasjointfifthlastyearandthisSUV
versiontookawell-deservedsecond
here.Itcouldsoeasilyhavebeenawin
becausethefinalscoreswerethatclose.
Itsresultisallthemoreimpressive
becauseit’sa2017tyre,althoughas
we’veseenbefore,theGerman-based
Japanesebranddoesaverygoodjobof
developingitstyresduringtheirlife.The

FK510wasthedry-trackstar,securing

winsinbothhandlingandbrakingtests.

Youcouldappreciatethatperformance

onthehandlingtrack,wherethesteering

wassharpandcombinedwithgoodgrip,

particularlythroughfastersweeps,which

weretakenalmostflatoutinourTiguan.

Someneededalift,buttheFalkengripped

andhaddecenttractionintighterturns.

Gooddryperformanceisoftentraded

offagainstwetgripbuttheFK510was

oneofthebestonthehandlingtrackand

circle.Hereitfeltthesharpestafterthe

Continentalbut,unlikeitsGermanrival,it

combinedthatwithgoodgripinthefaster

sweepsplususefultractioninthesharper

corners.Itwasclosetotheleadersinthe

noiseandstraightaquaplaningtestsbut

abitmoreoffthepaceinthelateraltest.

Theonlyrealconcernisfueleconomy

whereitfinishedinthemiddleofthe

packchasingtheContinental.

WE’VElongbeenfansofNokian’s
winterandall-seasontyres,andtheir
successisnosurprisegiventheFinnish
maker’sstate-of-the-artsnow-testing
facilities.Butitssummerrange(orjust
‘tyres’formostUKdrivers)hasfailedto
matchthatperformance–untilnow.
ThePowerproof,andtheWetprooffor
thetouringtyresegment,werelaunched
lastyeartotargetpremiumproducerslike
MichelinandContinental.Andthefirm

isdeterminedtosucceedinthesummer

aswellasthewintersector,withaproving

groundandtech centreinSpaindueto

opennextyear.Butitsexistingfacilities

aregoodenoughtomakeatopSUVtyre.

Ittookallthreewethandlingand

brakingtests,andwasoneofthosetyres

thatseemtoencourageyoutogofaster.

Itwassharp,withapositiveturn-inthat

encouragedhigherentryspeedsandan

earlierthrottleapplication.Itdidlesswell

intheaquaplaningassessments,butwas

closetothepaceinthelongitudinaltest.

Itcombinedthatwet-trackperformance

withdecentfueleconomy, takingthird

behindtheContinentalandMichelin,

whichwerenowhereneartheNokianin

thewet.Thatsharpnesswasabsentin

thedry, butitgrippedwellanddelivered

alaptimegoodenoughforthird,less

thanhalfasecondoffthewinningpace.

Theonlypoortestwascabinnoise.

Wesay...

Wesay...

Impressiveall-roundresultfromFalkenwhich

performedwelland,importantly,feltgoodtodrive.

WelldeservedwinforNokian,withabalanced

performanceacrosswetanddrytests.

Notahigh-sellingtyre,butbuyershaveleftgood

reviews,withstronggripsingledoutforpraise.

Interestmaywellriseafterthisimpressiveresult.

Wedon’tstockthistyre,soareunabletoprovide

anyinsightintoitspopularityorperformancewith

ourcustomers.Thiswinshouldseedemandrise.

OverallOverall 99.8%

OverallOverall 100%

2 Falken AzenisFK510SUV

1 Nokian Powerproof

2019

TYRE TEST

Price £133.79

Wethandling99.8% 2nd

Wetbraking 98.6% 5th

Wetcornering 98.8% 3rd

Straightaquaplaning 96.2% 6th

Curvedaquaplaning 85.5% 6th

Dryhandling 100% 1st

Drybraking 100% 1st

Rollingresistance79.4% 6th

Cabinnoise99.7% =2nd

Price £152.40

Wethandling100% 1st

Wetbraking 100% 1st

Wetcornering100% 1st

Straightaquaplaning 98% 5th

Curvedaquaplaning 89.7% 4th

Dryhandling 99.5% 3rd

Drybraking98.5% 3rd

Rollingresistance86.1% 3rd

Cabinnoise97.9% 8th

2019

TYRE TEST

Blackcircles.comsays...

Blackcircles.comsays...

BEST OF BOTH

Falken was

impressive in

both the wet

and drytests

BEST BALANCE

Fine all-round

performance

ensured awin

forNokian