The content of the article:
- New for 2017 from Continental: PremiumContact 6 tires
- Differences and features
- Continental PremiumContact 6. Tests and their results
- Auto Bild 2017 magazine test drive
Continental AG is a German tire manufacturing company that began its existence in 1871. Initially, the Continental plant produced tire products for horse carriages and bicycles, but in the first half of the 20th century, the company's products became a common attribute on the racing highways.
In 1901, a car equipped with firm tires won the race at the Nice Racetrack. In the following decades, the logo in the form of a rearing horse (an element of the coat of arms of Hanover, the city where the company was registered) became recognizable all over the world. Now it is one of the recognized brands.
New for 2017 from Continental: PremiumContact 6 tires
Continental is the largest tire manufacturer in the world. In the European market, the company ranks 1st in its direction, and in the world market - 4th.
Continental products have high quality characteristics and are recognized both in the OE segment and among ordinary motorists.
Of course, there is no perfect tire and Continental tires have their drawbacks. For example, the predecessor of the PremiumContact 6, the ContiPremiumContact 5, had all the properties necessary for a comfortable moderate ride, but at the expense of sporting qualities. But with the ContiSportContact 5 the situation is the opposite, their strong point is speed and maneuverability, but they are not the best in terms of safety and durability. The presence of two models allowed everyone to choose an option based on their preferences, and this approach seemed quite justified.
But manufacturers did not like this state of affairs and they decided to rely on versatility. The result of this decision was the PremiumContact 6. The peculiarity of the novelty is that it must combine the qualities of both its predecessors - Premium and Sport. The developers decided to pay attention to both the combination of the qualities of the predecessor models and to improve all the characteristics of the product.
The modernization began in the name - the unnecessary Conti attachment was removed (combining the two models into one), and in the modernized sports version - the letter extension (the ContiSportContact 5P model became ContiSportContact 6). The best performance of the company's tires has always been short braking distances and wet grip, but durability left much to be desired. But the "six", which is a kind of symbiosis of its two predecessors (CPC5 and CSC5), has become not only a universal model, but also improved in all major indicators.
PremiumContact 6. Differences and features
Creating the perfect combination of safety, comfort and speed is a tricky endeavor. However, the Continental developers succeeded. Of course, at the moment it is too early to speak with confidence, but those few tests of the novelty speak of quality and improved characteristics.
Tire quality indicators depend on two main features: rubber composition and tread.
These two characteristics were the focus of the development of the new model.
Rubber composition
To create the material, a synthetic amorphous compound (thermoplastic polymer resin) was used with the inclusion of silica (silicon oxide with high hardness and strength). Thanks to this, the new PremiumContact 6 tire has lost one of the main drawbacks inherent in its predecessors - the tendency to wear quickly.
In addition to increasing wear resistance, this rubber composition has reduced the level of rolling resistance.
Tread pattern
Much depends on the characteristics of the rubber, but even more qualities of the tire depend on the combination of the characteristics of the rubber with the tread pattern. The developers also focused their attention on this aspect, creating a harmoniously functioning tandem of the chemical and physical properties of the material.
The shape of the shoulders of the PC6 is created by analogy with the sports version of the SportContact 6, but has an asymmetrical geometry of the rib pattern. In particular, the tread has reinforced shoulder blocks that provide support for each other, as well as improve the grip of the tires with the road surface.
This tread structure has increased the safety of driving at high speeds and during maneuvering - PC6 perfectly withstand side loads, which was confirmed on test drives. And of course, this is a plus for the performance and handling of the car.
The central blocks of the tread are lamellar, that is, they are supplemented with special grooves of two types - closed and semi-closed. The presence of sipes allows the tire to maintain the rigidity of the center compartment, which ensures the stability of the wheel and precise control. Plus, lemelting the middle part of the tread allows you to remove the water layer while driving on a wet roadway and hold it until the tire leaves the contact zone with the surface.
In addition to all of the above, the developers paid attention to the distribution of pressure on the tire. In the new version of tires, the load on the contact patch is distributed more evenly, which increased the resistance of the product to wear and reduced noise during the movement.
Differences between the Continental Premium Clntact 6 and its predecessors
- The external noise level is reduced by 10%.
- Rolling resistance reduced by 5%.
- The wear rate is reduced by 15%.
- The braking distance on wet surfaces remains the same.
- Maneuverability improved by 3-4%.
- The braking distance on dry surface remains the same.
- Aquaplaning resistance decreased by 5%.
If we discard the ability to resist aquaplaning (something still had to be sacrificed), then the developers "pulled up" all the lagging indicators of their products, thereby increasing the general characteristics of the model.
Continental PremiumContact 6. Tests and their results
The first tests of the PC6 were carried out at the Monteblanco track, where the tires were presented to the professional public. Testing vehicles included the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, VW Golf GTi and Renault Megane RS. And PC6 did not disappoint, showing almost perfect results.
Compared to its predecessors, the "six" was not a step ahead in terms of safety while driving and maneuvering at high speeds. Even tight turns did not cause the tires to lose grip on the asphalt, and handling during maneuvers remained clear.
The sporting qualities of the tires were tested on the BMW M6 and did not cause any complaints either.
The comfort level indicators were also tested, for which the car, equipped with the novelty "Continental", was launched on the roads, the state of which was difficult to call ideal. And here the tires did not pump up - the noiselessness and softness of the ride, even at the joints and uneven surfaces, determined a high level of comfort for any situation.
Auto Bild 2017 magazine test drive
Since the new product of the Continental company was presented for acquaintance quite recently, it was only able to participate in several comparative test drives. One such test that the PC6 tires were tested for was a test conducted by the German auto magazine Auto Bild.
In the summer tire test for SUVs (R18), the new Continental showed an average result and came in fifth place.
The test revealed the following shortcomings:
- low resistance to aquaplaning;
- high level of noise accompaniment;
- overpriced.
The advantages of PC6 include:
- high adhesion to the surface (both dry and wet);
- reduced rolling resistance;
- cross-country ability in off-road conditions (good traction performance).
But the summer tires Continental PremiumContact 6 r17 took first place in the tests, pushing such brands as Dunlop, Falken and Pirelli to the second positions.
Pros of the model:
- braking properties (on dry and wet surfaces);
- maneuverability;
- general performance in wet and dry driving conditions;
- wear resistance;
- controllability;
- perfect value for money.
Disadvantages:
- increased rolling resistance. Although, unlike previous tire options, this figure has improved.
The range of new items provides a wide range of tire sizes, from PremiumContact R16 to R21. The company also decided to remove the SUV designation from its products; the designation of belonging to off-road vehicles will be tied to the standard size.
Conclusion on the new Continental tires
Overall, PremiumContact 6 has lived up to its purpose. Tires can indeed be categorized as "smart tires" as they adapt to the needs of a particular vehicle and its owner. Moreover, with the new Continental, you can combine the desire for drive and a quiet ride on demand. The experiment of merging two products into one turned out to be successful.
