Finally! Audi offers 'winter tyres' to slippy UK road users

by Steven Mostyn - Sep 23 2011, 14:52

Living here in Germany, where the use of winter tyres is mandatory, I’ve always been amazed to see the UK grind to a virtual halt every year as drivers (on regular rubber) chaotically slip and slide in less than an inch of snow. Hilariously pathetic.

However, my winter amusement might soon come to an end. More pointedly, although not yet a legal requirement across the murky channel, the good folk at German carmaker Audi are now offering UK customers the assurance of enhanced seasonal grip via winter tyres.

Covering all available models (from the dinky A1 through to the monstrous Q7), Audi’s optional deals come as either a tyres-only package or a combined set of both wheels and tyres.

The wheel-and-tyre packages provide drivers with corrosion-resistant alloy wheels (in sizes of 16-inches to 19-inches) and special rubber-compound tyres designed to deliver optimal grip, precision and control at temperatures below seven degrees.

According to Audi, by adding winter rubber to its portfolio of extras, its customers gain access to tyres capable of displacing water and cutting through snowfall while improving road traction.

Subsequently grip while navigating snow, ice, slush and surface water is boosted by up to 60 percent, braking distances drop by up to 20 percent, and cackling technology reporters in Germany are duly silenced.

And what cost such peace of mind during the increasingly inclement UK winters? Well, Audi’s wheel-and-tyre packages start from 790 GBP (incl. fitting), while the winter tyres cost 550 GBP (incl. fitting).

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