Bridgestone reveals Blizzak ICE winter touring tyre

Bridgestone’s new studless Blizzak ICE winter touring tyre has been designed to deliver improved snow and ice performance, superior ride comfort and significantly increased wear.

The new tyre will be available in 2019 in 37 sizes from 14 to 19 inches, with 25 more to follow in 2020. The roll-out covers 86 per cent of market demand to accommodate most passenger cars.

Bridgestone conducted face-to-face discussions with numerous drivers from Northern Europe with the aim of understanding exactly what they wanted from their winter tyres and the driving challenges they faced.

Tyre life and environmental friendliness were highlighted as being of great importance to drivers. At the same time, the consumer research also revealed that daily driving included both urban conditions and the open road outside the city. Drivers also needed excellent grip on their tyres, to enable sudden braking and maintain control when exposed to black ice and slushy snow.

Designed with the end-user in mind, Bridgestone says its Blizzak ICE answers all of these demands, while offering safety and confidence to drivers all winter long, even in the most severe conditions.

Engineered with an all-new tread compound that features the company’s patented Multicell technology, the Blizzak ICE delivers improved stopping distance on ice. Bridgestone Multicell technology is specially formulated with hydrophilic properties that attract water and draw it away from the surface of ice to enhance grip.

Compared to its predecessor, the new Blizzak ICE achieved an eight per cent reduction in braking distance on ice and increased its wear life by 25 per cent. This has been made possible by the new compound formula and the specially designed tread pattern.