New Nokian Hakka Blue – Top performance for wet roads
The newest member of the Hakka summer tyre range is a top performer in rainy weather
The high-performance Nokian Hakka Blue summer tyre can masterfully handle the rapidly changing road conditions in the summer. Tailor-made for the northern roads, the newest member of the Hakka summer tyre range offers the best possible traction and precise handling for challenging wet roads, when drivers most often need a reliable partner. The new innovations, the Dry Touch Sipe and Swoop Grooves, give Nokian Hakka Blue excellent grip and allow it to stop nearly a metre shorter than traditional summer tyres from a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) on a rain-soaked road.
This new tyre, designed especially for high-powered cars and with a good, accurate driving feel, offers uncompromisingly safe and comfortable travel from the first moments of spring until long into the autumn. The eco-friendliness of this sporty tyre also adds to your peace of mind. Many innovations launched together with Nokian Hakka Green, the baby brother of the Hakka Blue, ensure that the novelty is green by nature and moves smoothly. Very low rolling resistance results in fuel consumption among the lowest in its class.
New innovations maximise wet grip
According to research, rain is the weather phenomenon causing the most traffic accidents. Driving is easy on a sun-scorched highway, but when a sudden rain shower strikes, the possibility of temporarily losing control grows. A key factor is the loss of tyre grip or dangerous aquaplaning, which can quickly turn the driver into a passenger.
- When optimising the road contact and developing the structure of Nokian Hakka Blue, we aimed at maximising wet grip. We utilised a high-speed camera for this purpose to a great extent. The finishing touch on the exceptional wet grip and anti-aquaplaning characteristics are the new innovations that effectively remove water from between the tyre and the road or store it temporarily, as well as the tread compound adapted for the varying conditions in the north, says Development Manager Juha Pirhonen from Nokian Tyres.
The new Dry Touch Suction Sipe effectively sucks the water out from between the tyre and the road, routing it to the main grooves of the tyre. This allows the Hakka Blue to achieve maximum contact on a rain-beaten road and establish a firm grip on the road surface. The sipe shape ensures that the firm tyre has excellent wet grip, even when worn. The unique Dry Touch Sipe is larger at the bottom, which means that as the tyre wears, the groove volume does not decrease but rather increases.
To prevent aquaplaning, separate Swoop Grooves were shaped in the transversal main grooves on the inner shoulder. These elliptical slots store more water, as the volume of the transversal grooves increases. The transversal grooves are also cut to be more open, which accelerates the flow of exhaust water as the tyre pushes its way through a water layer. The flow of the water displaced by the surface tread is also accelerated by the four wide and polished main grooves. Polishing the grooves also improves the stylish appearance of the tyre.
According to the comparison tests performed by Nokian Tyres, the Nokian Hakka Blue has a braking distance of 39.5 metres (129.6 feet) from a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). This is up to 0.8 metres (2.6 ft) less than traditional summer tyres.
Eco-friendly, comfortable ride
The new tread compound, a combination of silica and pine oil, is matched for higher speeds. The carefully selected combination also improves wet grip at very low temperatures, on those early spring mornings and as the autumn gets darker. Pine oil added to the compound lowers the temperature of Hakka Blue by reducing the friction caused by molecular movement. This makes the Hakka Blue an excellent choice for varying summer weather. The end results are lower heat generation and rolling resistance.
Thanks to the new rubber compound and state of the art tread design, this new Hakka tyre is at the top of its class in terms of rolling resistance. Nokian Hakka Blue tolerates rough roads, rolls lightly, consumes less fuel, and minimises harmful CO2 emissions.
The round cavities, reminiscent of a golf ball, on the walls of the longititudinal ribs provide additional driving comfort. This Silent Groove Design innovation controls both the inside noise and drive by noise of the vehicle. The cavities guide the airflow, removing the noise waves caused by the edges of the transversal grooves and thereby preventing that unpleasant, whistling noise. The design also reduces air resistance and cools the surface of the tyre, in turn improving wear resistance.
Logical and stable by nature
The structural solutions and tread design of the Nokian Hakka Blue were tailored to rise to the challenge of the fastest speeds. Like the Nokian Hakka Green summer tyre, the range offers several speed ratings. Next spring, the Hakka Blue range will offer products in both the V (240 km/h) and W (270 km/h) speed ratings.
The typical inside-outside design of the Hakka range adds to your driving comfort and makes the tyre easy to steer. The strong centre rib supports the mid-section, where a more rigid rubber compound has been lifted below the tread. This ensures safe drivability even at higher speeds and extreme situations. The shoulder areas are supported with 20-degree slants on the groove walls; this provides excellent driving comfort during cornering, lane changes, and evasion.
Patented safety and comfort
In addition to the groove depth indicator (DSI – Driving Safety Indicator) that is patented by Nokian Tyres, this wet weather champion also has an aquaplaning indicator on its surface. Its droplet symbol disappears at the point that less than four millimetres of tread are remaining, indicating an increased risk for aquaplaning. The information area allows for recording the correct inflation pressure and installation location during tyre change.
The new Hakka Blue range has a comprehensive selection of sizes. A total of 21 sizes are available, from 15 to 17 inches. All sizes are also XL marked, meaning they have the highest possible load capacity.
Retail sales of the new Hakka tyre will begin in the spring of 2012 in Nokian Tyres' most important market areas: the Nordic countries, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as Kazakhstan and Belarus.
Nokian Hakka Blue – Wet Performer
- Unique grip and safety for wet roads
- Precise and stable in rapidly changing weather conditions
- Comfort and economy from spring to autumn
Main innovations:
Dry Touch Suction Sipe. The unique suction sipe effectively sucks the water out from between the tyre and the road, routing it to the main grooves of the tyre. This gives the tyre maximum contact and a firm grip on the dryer road surface. The sipe shape ensures that the firm tyre has excellent wet grip, even when worn. The sipe is larger at the bottom, in turn increasing the groove volume as the tyre wears.
Swoop Grooves. The elliptical slots on the transversal grooves on the inner shoulder store more water, as the volume of the transversal grooves increases. This improves the aquaplaning characteristics. The transversal grooves are also cut to be more open, which accelerates the flow of exhaust water.
Silent Groove Design. The round cavities on the sides of the longitudinal ribs, resembling a golf ball pattern, cool the tyre and reduce drag. New technology improves wear resistance and lowers fuel consumption. The cavities that control air flow also prevent any unpleasant, whistling noise. The design makes driving pleasantly silent.
Shoulder piece support. The shoulder areas are supported with 20-degree slants on the groove walls; this provides excellent driving comfort during cornering, lane changes, and evasion.
Hakka Blue Silica rubber compound. The new environmentally friendly full-silica compound ensures excellent wet grip and a low rolling resistance at all temperatures. The pine oil added to the compound improves wear resistance.
Nokian Hakka
The Nokian Hakka summer tyres are tailored to rough roads and variable summer weather. A perfect fit for northern, demanding, cool conditions is at the heart of the Hakka products. Bumpy and poor roads with potholes, as well as quickly changing and wet weather conditions are the home ground of Hakka summer tyres. Nokian Tyres is the world’s only tyre manufacturer that designs its summer tyres especially for northern conditions.
Photos: www.nokiantyres.com/HakkaBlue
Further information:
Nokian Tyres plc,
Development Manager Juha Pirhonen, tel. +358 10 401 7708
juha.pirhonen@nokiantyres.com
Technical Customer Service Manager Matti Morri, tel. +358 10 401 7621
Nokian Tyres is the only tyre manufacturer in the world that focuses on customer needs in northern conditions. The company supplies innovative tyres for cars, trucks and special heavy machinery mainly in areas with special challenges on tyre performance: snow, forests and harsh driving conditions in different seasons. Nokian Tyres’ product development is consistently aiming for sustainable solutions for safety and the environment, taking into account the whole life cycle of the tyre. A part of the Nokian Tyres group, the tyre chain Vianor has over 820 outlets in 22 countries. In 2010, Nokian Tyres had about 3,500 employees and net sales of approximately 1,058.1 million euros. Nokian Tyres’ share is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. Further information: www.nokiantyres.com