The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 studded tire has won several recent Finnish, Swedish and Russian car magazines’ comparison tests, each citing the tire’s excellent winter grip and pleasant, stable and sensitive driving response, the company said.
According to Finnish magazine Tekniikan Maailma, the tire is in a league of its own when it comes to winter grip: “Ten out of 10 points for every ice test speaks for itself. This tells us what kinds of conditions the tire is designed for. In addition to the great grip, the tire also has magnificent driving properties. It is stable yet suitably responsive on ice and snow.” The magazine tested a total of 14 studded and eight studless winter tires in size 205/55 R16.
Finnish magazine Tuulilasi also rated the Hakka 7 as the best winter tire, performing a test comprised of seven studded and two studless winter tires in the same size category. “The Hakkapeliitta 7 provides the best grip on ice, but it was not among the very best tires in the snow grip measurements. The tire maintains grip for a very long time, even when the car is already sliding sideways,” the magazine stated.
Named “ice champion,” the Hakka 7 in size 205/55 R16 also came out on top in a test by Sweden’s Vi Bilägare that included eight studded tires, as well as achieving first place in Russian car magazine Za Rulem’s studded tire comparison of 14 tires.
Also noted in magazine tests was Nokian’s Hakkapeliitta R, which provides grip on ice and breaks records with its low rolling resistance, according to the tiremaker. The studless winter tire achieved a victory in Vi Bilägare’s friction tire test, followed in second place by the Nokian Nordman RS friction tire.
The Hakka R was also the best friction tire in a Za Rulem test, raked best for longitudinal grip properties on snow and good lateral grip properties on packed snow. The magazine estimated the Hakka R to be the best and most economical tire for snowy and icy roads, Nokian said.
In a comparison by Tekniikan Maailma, the Hakka R achieved a shared second place, noting the tire is quiet and deserves a special mention for the lowest rolling resistance in the test.
