Yokohama has unveiled the new Yokohama Ice GUARD IG51v, winter car tires that were designed for use on vehicles with pronounced off-road characteristics and all-wheel drive transmissions, as well as on SUV pickups.
Thanks to the use of a directional tread pattern on the working surface, the Yokohama Ice Guard IG51V tires provide an optimal balance of vehicle handling and high grip in winter road conditions.
Yokohama said in a statement that it features aggressive tread patterns, 3D sipes, and wide drainage channels to reliably provide optimal handling even in winter conditions. In addition, the tires have "a unique design and compound that not only ensures excellent ride quality but also reduces fuel consumption and makes the tires extremely durable through more even wear."
Talking about the new model, Trevor Longley, director of Yokohama's passenger car tires in Canada, said it is aimed at pickup and crossover owners who want the highest levels of grip and control.
The Yokohama Ice GUARD IG51v is made from a Multi-Grip compound, which Mr. Longley says is adaptable to different conditions and thus provides optimal grip in warm weather on dry asphalt and on snow, slush and ice.
Features of the Multi-Grip compound
The engineers paid special attention to the grip on the ice. As noted in the press release, slipping on ice is actually "micro-hydroplaning" - the weight of the car turns ice into liquid, which forms a thin film of water only ten-thousandths of a millimeter thick. But even that is enough for the tires to lose contact with the road surface. Yokohama said they have "achieved a breakthrough in rubber compounding and structural solutions that enable IceGUARD tires to crush ice and remove water film for better road contact."
The winter tire Yokohama Ice Guard IG51V was specially developed for the Nordic countries and is intended for pickups, SUVs, and crossovers, which are operated mainly on asphalt roads.
Multi-Grip Rubber Compound
This model was one of the first, where the MultiGrip rubber compound was used for the manufacture of the tread. It has a porous structure. The numerous voids in contact with the road absorb moisture from the road surface and then dissipate it as the tire rotates. This challenging technical solution significantly improves grip on wet and icy roads.
Drainage grooves with sawtooth walls
Located in the central part of the tread, the longitudinal drainage grooves have a sawtooth profile of the side walls. This allows them to capture and hold for some time the snow mass, which is then quickly diverted from the contact patch to the side. This gives the tire a better grip in bad weather conditions. The medial rib of a zigzag shape is designed to improve the grip of the wheels of a car with a snowy road and melted snow, which significantly improves its directional stability while driving at high speeds.
High-quality and efficient removal of excess water and moisture, from under the spot of contact of the wheels of the machine with the road, is provided by special drainage grooves of the transverse arrangement, which have sawtooth-shaped walls, which minimizes the possibility of an aquaplaning effect.
The improved rubber compound, based on polymer compounds and natural components, retains the elasticity of the structure of automobile rubber even at ultra-low air temperatures and also extends its service life.
Main features of Yokohama Ice Guard IG51V
- Multi-Grip rubber compound improves grip on ice and wet roads, drying out the contact patch;
- Sawtooth walls of longitudinal drainage grooves in the center improve grip in bad weather conditions.
Pros: No noise, good braking both on dry land and on water. Perfectly digests snow gruel. Good braking on ice (ABS is silent until the last). The edge of the beginning of the transition to sliding is well felt. They keep a straight line perfectly.
Cons: Poor wet grip, but acceptable dry handling. On ice and snow, the rear axle of the car is prone to skidding, so special attention might be required from the driver.
The developers paid particular attention to the behavior of the tire on ice. The special position and design of the sipes prevent the creation of a micro-hydroplaning effect when the weight of the machine turns ice into water.
This tire is ideal for owners who value not only cross-country ability, but also comfort - smooth running, low noise level.