New Nokian Hakkapeliitta review
The new Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 winter studded tire combines unique winter characteristics with a high level of ride comfort. Air shock absorbers with spikes of a completely new type represent an innovation called Air Claw Technology (vacuum clutch technology). Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 was ranked first in an independent test by our site (September 2020). In our Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 review we will try to explain all the pros and cons of these tires!
Air dampers – made it possible to make studded tires quiet. In front of the stud, there are drop-shaped holes in the tread bar that serve as air dampers: when the tire comes into contact with the road, they soften the stud’s impact and vibration. Approximately the same principle of shock absorption is used in high-quality sport’s shoes in the heel area.
A new generation hexagonal anchor spike – gives the hexagonal anchorage to the hexagonal spike in case of side resistances and keeps it from tilting. In this way, the lateral traction is improved. Thanks to the new hexagonal shape of the spikes, an unprecedented clutch is achieved during acceleration and braking. And the beveled corners of the rhombus result in improved lateral traction.
Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7, that we review here, has “the bear claw”. During braking, the rubber claw, or the protrusion on the tread bar, holds the stud vertically, preventing it from tilting and thus improving traction.
The eight-row studding and advanced Eco Stud system is a spring pillow under the stud, which softens the noise and increases the wear resistance of the stud.
New tread design with a reinforced center section significantly improves stability and control accuracy. The center pin strengthens the overall construction, influences steering stability and tire behavior, as well as a grip during maneuvers. The tread pattern is directive (with a given direction of rotation) and symmetrical.
Beveled shoulder zones have improved slash-splintering resistance (slush and slush sliding); the tire effectively cuts the tread, and the slush is better pushed out of the tire’s contact with the road.
The new rubber compound consists of a large amount of natural rubber, silica and rapeseed oil. This combination provides excellent grip in harsh winter conditions, on wet surfaces, and increases wear resistance. Rapeseed oil makes the rubber tear-resistant, improves grip on ice and snow. Thanks to a large amount of silica in the mixture, the rolling resistance of Hakkapeliitta 7 is very low, so fuel consumption and emissions are reduced.
3D lamellation – adds stiffness to the tread and affects the tire’s behavior on dry road surfaces. Wear indicator. Testing results show that the new Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 outperforms the multiple winners of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 5 tests.
