Long May You One: New Nokian all-season tire packs super-long warranty
How does 130,000 km sound? It's possible, says the Finnish company, with this rubber designed specifically for the North American market
![Nokian Tyres](https://smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital/driving/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NokianTyresOne1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288)
Article content
Nokian, a tire company with roots in Finland, is known by most for its tremendous and very capable line of winter tires. Now the brand is seeking to gain a bigger toehold in the North American all-season market — and it’s hoping a gold-plated warranty will turn some heads.
Advertisement
Article content
Simply called the One, Nokian says this new all-season tire for passenger cars is tailored for North American drivers and the challenges presented by roads in our region.
In other words, it isn’t a gooey but quick-wearing tire made for autobahn -running Yurpeans that’ll quickly get busted up on our cratering infrastructure. In fact, Nokian is boasting a high-mileage warranty of 130,000 km. That’s roughly the equivalent to 20 trips from Halifax to Vancouver, by the way.
At an average driving distance of 20,000 km per annum, it’d take over six years to run these things out of warranty. Even longer if we’re kept in lockdown for extended periods. Thanks, COVID.
Advertisement
Article content
This hoop also marks the first time that Aramid has been used in the sidewalls of an all-season passenger tire by the company. You may know it as Kevlar, ma’am. That latter term is actually a DuPont brand name but, like most of us refer to an ice resurfacer as a Zamboni, it has entered the public lexicon as the most recognizable term for the stuff. Yes, it is actually used in bulletproof vests and space shuttle seats, meaning the Nokian One is constructed of stern stuff.
![Nokian Tyres](https://smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital/driving/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NokianTyresOne23.jpg?w=288&crop=1&strip=all&quality=90)
A symmetrical, non-directional tread pattern promotes even wear throughout the life of the tire. Its tread shape resembles other North American all-season products but Nokian points out the One’s centre rib with zig-zag siping – good for wet weather handling – and 3D tread block supports as key differentiators. The latter surely helps with the wear claim.
These fresh hoops will be produced at the company’s new factory in Tennessee plus a couple of factories in Europe. Nokian One is exclusively for sale in North America, gold-plated warranty and all.