Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8

Supreme grip, lighter rolling

• Winter grip like never before
• Uniquely green by nature: lower fuel consumption, quieter, and less wear on the road
• Stable and precise handling

The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 studded tyre is a new premium product for the Northern winter, with many different innovations that can be felt and seen every day by the winter drivers. The tyre ushers in a new era that combines extreme winter safety and low road wear.

New Eco Stud 8 concept brings never before seen winter grip

The groundbreaking stud distribution and the new Eco Stud 8 concept create fantastic winter properties: supreme grip during braking and acceleration, better wear resistance, and driving comfort.

The Eco Stud 8 concept includes a new-generation anchor stud, a flange design that reduces stud impact, and the Eco Stud cushion that improves the operation of the stud and further softens road contact.

The unique stud division proceeds evenly across the entire tread surface, which means that no stud is behind another. This ensures the best possible grip under all conditions. A directional or fixed-direction tread model that is also symmetrical is the optimal choice for winter tyres, since it supports the wide spacing of tyres in order to optimise grip and reduce driving noise.

The new tyre offers peace of mind for surprising situations with its top braking grip that is further enhanced by the firm stud placement in the renewed cap & base structure. The specially tough rubber compound below the surface compound firmly locks the stud in the tread block, stabilises driving on dry roads, and ensures an even wear pattern.

Due to the revolutionary stud concept, the road wear effect of the Hakkapeliitta 8 is over 12% lower than the limit defined in the Nordic stud legislation.

More tread blocks, precision, and grip

A significant innovation contributing to first-class winter grip, wear resistance, and noise level is the notable increase in the number of tread blocks. The larger number of tread blocks increases the number of grooves, that is, the number of gripping edges that contact the ice and snow as the tyre comes into contact with the road surface.

Thanks to its improved wear resistance, the new tyre has a longer lifetime. Lower heat generation is achieved by using a larger number of smaller tread blocks. This innovation also reduces the rolling resistance of the Hakkapeliitta 8, which has a positive effect on fuel economy.

The balanced handling was achieved by stiffening the tyre, as the tread blocks in the centre section were joined together into a strong strand. The heavily grooved surface and the open block gaps in the shoulder area give the tyre excellent self-cleaning characteristics in snow and slush.

The Brake Boosters that are located at the back of the tread block have serrated edges that increase the surface area and improve braking grip, especially on snowy surfaces.

Driving pleasure and stability on asphalt

Bare-road handling has been improved with a new tread pattern design. The Diagonal 3D support sipes in the centre area stiffen the structure, making movements more stable as the tyre is quick and responsive to steer. The self-locking 3D sipes on the outside shoulder lock the tread blocks together on road contact, improving handling in turns and during evasions.

The new stiffer belt package keeps its shape regardless of the bumps on the road. The new, quieter component and material choices on the sidewall work towards more stable and quieter driving comfort, as they effectively dampen the tyre noise carried inside the vehicle.

Unique tread compound for Northern conditions

The main ingredients of the entirely new Hakkapeliitta Cryo silane Gen 2 winter compound are silica, rapeseed oil, and natural rubber.

Rapeseed oil acts as the catalyst in the cryogenic silane compound developed for low temperatures; it excites the silica and natural rubber to work together seamlessly, and improves the tear strength of the tread compound. Natural rubber provides winter grip, as it is stable over an extended temperature range, and works especially well in temperatures near zero as well as in extremely cold weather.

Due to the high silica content and the entirely new tread pattern, the rolling resistance of the Hakkapeliitta 8 is nearly 5% lower than in the lightly rolling Hakkapeliitta 7. For drivers, this means further reductions to fuel consumption and harmful emissions.

New groove depth indicator increases winter safety

The patented Driving Safety Indicator (DSI) displays the remaining amount of tread surface in numbers. The snow flake symbol on the Winter Safety Indicator (WSI) remains visible to a groove depth of four millimetres; once it wears out, the driver should purchase new winter tyres to ensure sufficient safety.

The information area on the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8’s sidewall provides added comfort and safety, as it can be used to record the correct inflation pressure and installation location. Furthermore, the new section can be used to record the tightening torque of bolts for alloy rims.

Comprehensive size selection for smaller and larger cars

The comprehensive size selection of this new tyre extends from 13 inches up to 20 inches, and is suitable for both smaller family cars and sportier vehicles. The new tyre is also offered as special products that feature Flat Run technology or are XL labelled, that is, have the highest possible load-bearing capacity.

The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 will be available to consumers at tyre retailers in the Nordic countries and Russia in the autumn of 2013.