Yokohama
The Japanese manufacturer is discretely carving out a comfortable niche for itself in the winter tire segment. The IG53 model has already established itself, and you can add to that the V905 and V906, which are more at home when mounted on the wheels of performance cars.
Available under the name BluEarth, this tire features the latest technology from the Japanese giant. The V906 version is even more advanced. You can trust them.
Toyo
Like Yokohama, Toyo is a slightly less visible but very effective Japanese producer of tires. Its best winter products are the Observe G3-Ice and Observe GSi-6, the brand's “studless” ice tire. The latter is a more civilized tire, perfect for moderate conditions, while the G3-Ice is more effective in extreme ice or snow situations. It's worth mentioning the option of getting the G3-Ice in a studded version.
Obviously, this is a high-quality product from the Japanese industry. The only fault I find with them is that they can be noisy on dry roads.
Hankook
In recent years, South Korean manufacturer Hankook has continued to build a fine reputation. It offers I*Pike and I*Pike RS2 winter tires specifically designed for our winters, with the latter better suited for driving on icy roads.
And if you own a performance vehicle or a performance SUV, you can do worse than look at the i*cept range. For fans of sportier cars, this tire range falls under the i*cept evo name.
For the past two years, my Suzuki SX4 has been shod with all-weather Hankook Kinergy 4S2 tires for testing, and the results have been very positive.
Nexen
A smaller player in the winter tire segment, Nexen is another South Korean brand slowly making a name for itself. Its Winguard products should not be overlooked. The range consists of tires for ice, for SUVs and for several other applications. A product to consider…
