BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE TEST WINNER

39 years ago, Goodyear launched the first all-weather tire, paving the way for the all-season tire market, which is expected to further grow by around 8 percent annually over the next five years.[1]

With the tire change season approaching, many drivers are currently wondering whether they should opt for all-season tires this year. A look behind the scenes of the test winner Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 can provide interesting insights and arguments. Thanks to its versatile technologies, it is ideal for both warm and cold weather conditions.

A Visit To The Goodyear Innovation Centre

The development of an all-season tire requires the precise coordination of many factors and involves several phases: from concept development including tire construction, cavity shape, tread pattern design and tread compounds, to the testing and finetuning of these critical components resulting in a perfectly balanced tire. The all-season tire combines elements from the tread pattern, the sipe structure, the groove arrangement and the sidewalls of summer and winter tires to ensure balanced performance in changing weather conditions.

Much More Than Rubber And Soot

Only the tread compound for the Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 consists of up to 17 components,  for example, synthetic rubbers which provide excellent grip and wear performance. Silica and traction resins offer outstanding grip, and braking performance in rainy weather. Other components include carbon black, sulphur, wax, and antioxidants, as well as sunflower oil, which increases the flexibility of the rubber. “The Vector 4Seasons Gen-3’s adaptive rubber compound ensures that the tire remains flexible at different temperatures and offers reliable performance and outstanding mileage in a wide range of conditions. It actually represents a category of its own, connecting the best of two worlds“, says Goodyear’s Compounding Engineer Chris Kaes.

Developed In The Winter Laboratory

In the winter laboratory, Goodyear engineers produce different types of snow to test different rubber compounds and sipe structures on them. For example, the braking distance varies considerably depending on the nature of the snow and ice. The test of the Vector 4Seasons compound on a metal plate compacted with snow shows that the pure rubber compound already provides strong grip. Combined with the special 3D sipes on the centre of the tread, the Snow Grip technology ensures excellent grip on snow. Only around 63% of the rubber has direct contact with the road; the grooves of the remaining percent drain water and offer protection against aquaplaning or indirectly provide grip.

Eight Times Around The World

Before a Goodyear tire goes into series production, it has circled the earth eight times, on the road or on the roller test bench, and undergone 3,800 development tests. On the in-house test track, the Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 showed how effectively the dry handling technology developed for the premium all-season tire works. This includes reinforced tread and shoulder blocks that reduce the deformation of the tire under high loads, such as during sporty driving in dry conditions. The result: short braking and very good grip on dry roads.

“We are very proud to offer drivers who choose all-season tires a top product that was rated ‘Good’ by the ADAC for the first time in this category,” [2] says Senior Director Technology Consumer Goodyear EMEA, Ben Glesener.

For more insights into the development of a premium all-season tire, see episode #257 BLOCH EXPLAINS – ALL-SEASON TIRES: THE 5 BIGGEST MISTAKES – BLOCH.  Click here for the episode.

Caption 1:
The Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 was the first all-season tire to be rated “good” by the ADAC.

Caption 2:
The rubber compound of the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 provides balanced performance in all weather conditions and excellent mileage.

Caption 3:
In the winter laboratory, Goodyear creates different types of snow to test rubber compounds and sipes.

[1] Goodyear internal evaluation based on econometric model across 24 countries in Europe: Austria, Baltics, Benelux, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK.

[2] ADAC all-season tire test 2024, 16 tires tested in size 205/55R16.