Tyre Traction: Importance of Grip & Stability for Safe Driving with Best Tyres

Get to know all about tyre traction and tyre patterns that offer capable grip for your car.

What is tyre traction? It is one question all should know, irrespective of how much they drive, along with some of the tyres offering the best tyre traction levels.

Know how vital is the road traction levels while driving.
Most prominent car makers feature tubeless radial tyres with fantastic tyre traction levels for cars with tyre sizes between 15 inches and 18 inches.
Surface quality is the deciding factor of tyre traction, though new-age tyres can offer good traction at confined speeds and overall undulations.

What Is Tyre Traction?

What is tyre traction? It is one question all should know, irrespective of how much they drive, along with some of the tyres offering the best tyre traction levels. Simply put, tyre traction is the ability of a car tyre to hold grip levels at all speeds and surfaces without compromising ride quality and durability.

A tyre is designed with particular types of tread patterns, compounds and design elements, which decide its ability to hold traction on the kind of surface over which it is to be used. The tyre traction is of utmost importance, as it determines the handling and stability of the vehicle under various driving conditions and speeds on both corners and fast stretches.

With road infrastructure becoming better daily, especially for national highways and expressways, the need for better tyre traction for your vehicle has become even more significant. The higher the levels of tyre traction, the better the overall performance, ride quality, safety and driving dynamics of the vehicle. In the current times, passenger car tyres are specifically designed to keep the aspect of tyre traction at a higher priority.

How Does Tyre Traction Work?

Many drivers are not very aware of how tyre traction works. This unawareness can lead to dangerous scenarios like overspeeding, loss of control and tyre bursts. The improper knowledge of tyre traction also leads to a faster wear rate of tyres, which happens when the vehicle is not driven suitably over the recommended terrain or speed limits.

The tyre traction is nothing but the friction between the surface/tarmac and the tyres. If the surfaces are rough and the tyre is well-engineered with the required compound and tread design, the friction levels will be higher among the two causing greater traction. For a passenger vehicle tyre, these friction levels should be high enough to not compromise its wear rate.

Modern cars offer great driving pleasure with top-class features, performance and technologies. If tyre traction is not up to the standards of the vehicle, it adversely impacts the driving dynamics of the car in general.

Factors Impacting The Tyre Traction:

The following are the factors that impact the tyre traction of a car in general:

Inconsistent tarmac quality – It occurs when the condition of the tarmac can go from well-paved to poorly constructed in no time while driving.
Undulations – Due to poor quality of materials and inconsistency maintained while making a road, the tarmac can suffer from undulations, which are felt more while driving faster.
Gravel – When the tarmac is damaged or not constructed properly with the required quality levels, gravel appears, which is almost next to an inexistent road when it comes to offering tyre traction.

As a solution, tyre manufacturers are also coming up with new-age tubeless radial tyres for cars and SUVs across various segments.

Here are some of the best tubeless tyres for high-selling compact and midsize cars and SUVs in India with great tyre traction:

Apollo Alnac 4G

Designed for premium compact cars and SUVs, the Apollo Alnac 4G has a sleek tread pattern with a larger outer shoulder, which allows precise steering control during immediate lane changes that become helpful in long-distance highway driving. For precise control during low-speed city driving, the Apollo Alnac 4G has a stiffer rib at the centre and a specially optimized contact patch. The tread compound of Alnac 4G is based on a higher glass transition temperature rubber, which aids in exceptional dry braking during emergencies.

S. No.	Popular Tyre Sizes of Apollo Alnac 4G	Suitable Car Models
1	185/60 R15	Maruti Swift, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, Tata Punch
2	205/60 R16	Volkswagen Virtus, Mahindra XUV300, Ford Ecosport
3	215/55 R17	Hyundai Sonata Transform, Skoda Superb, Toyota Innova Touring Sport

Bridgestone Turanza T005

The versatile range of Bridgestone Turanza T005, which includes tyres for both compact and midsize vehicles, features an improved design for consistent contact pressure on the tarmac, thus allowing better comfort levels. This tyre from Bridgestone has a Nano Pro-Tech technology and soft rubber compound, which allows for better traction with increased contact area and reduced heat generation for superior traction on wet surfaces. The Bridgestone Turanza T005 also makes ride quality smoother with its stiffer, reinforced sidewall.

S. No.	Popular Tyre Sizes of Bridgestone Turanza T005	Suitable Car Models
1	185/65 R15	Maruti Dzire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Verna
2	215/55 R16	Hyundai Venue, Toyota Camry, Tata Nexon
3	225/55 R17	Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, BMW X1
4	235/45 R18	Honda Accord Hybrid, BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Michelin Primacy 4 ST

The Michelin Primacy 4 ST is one of the most preferred tyres for premium sedans and midsize SUVs. The highlight of this tyre is its EverGrip technology, which allows more room in the tread for faster water dissipation, thus giving it an additional boost in traction and shorter braking distances over wet surfaces. Talking about its tread, the pattern has a second-generation Silent Rib technology, which allows a connection between tread blocks, thus reducing road noises and vibrations for a comfortable ride quality.

S. No.	Popular Tyre Sizes of Michelin Primacy 4 ST	Suitable Car Models
1	195/60 R16	Honda BR-V, Honda WR-V, Tata Nexon
2	215/55 R17	Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Superb, Skoda Octavia
3	235/50 R18	Tata Harrier, Toyota Camry, Jeep Meridian

Yokohama Advan Sport V105

Engineered to offer an optimal balance of ride quality and handling, the Yokohama Advan Sport V105 has a matrix body ply structure and asymmetrical tread pattern for improved precision, comfort and better traction over dry surfaces. The mound profile and cross-sectional shape of the tyre tread aids further in steering stability. For reduced road noises, the Yokohama Advan Sport V105 also has silent sipes placed within the libs.

S. No.	Popular Tyre Sizes of Yokohama Advan Sport V105	Suitable Car Models
1	225/55 R16	Audi A4, Mercedes Benz New C Class, BMW 3 Series
2	235/55 R17	Audi A7, BMW X3, Jaguar XF
3	245/45 R18	Jaguar F Type, BMW 5 Series, Jaguar XF

JK UX Royale

One of the most affordable tyres for midsize cars and SUVs, the JK UX Royale claims to offer total control at higher triple-digit speeds with its aero wing design and stable shoulder blocks. Its multi-pitch sequence and optimized footprint pressure distribution give it superior comfort and quiet ride quality. For improved safety and increased traction on wet surfaces, the JK UX Royale has an asymmetric tread pattern, dual radius profile and wide longitudinal grooves.

S. No.	Popular Tyre Sizes of JK UX Royale	Suitable Car Models
1	185/65 R15	Maruti Baleno, Hyundai Verna, Honda Mobilio
2	185/55 R16	Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
3	215/60 R17	Kia Seltos, Nissan Kicks, MG Hector
4	215/55 R18	Hyundai Alcazar, MG Hector Plus

Conclusion:

In India, a large number of car owners own compact and midsize cars and SUVs. Considering that road surface quality varies from city to city and village to village, a set of good tyres that are capable of holding traction levels ensures smooth ride quality, precise handling and lesser road noise entering the cabin.

FAQs

Q1. What are the factors affecting tyre traction?

Answer – Factors like surface quality, construction of roads, undulations and loose gravel can hamper the tyre traction.

Q2. What are some of the best tyres with high tyre traction for compact and midsize cars and SUVs?

Answer – New-age tyres like Apollo Alnac 4G, Bridgestone Turanza T005, Michelin Primacy 4 ST, Yokohama Advan Sport V105 and JK UX Royale are some of the most preferred tyres for modern cars and SUVs for high traction levels.

Q3. What tyre sizes are used mostly in compact and midsize cars and SUVs in India?

Answer – While most mass-market sedans and hatchbacks come with 15-inch to 17-inch tyres, SUVs in a similar price range have tyres in the 16-inch to 18-inch range.