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2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test

Jonathan Benson
Data analyzed and reviewed by Jonathan Benson
11 min read Updated

Adjust Result Weighting

The overall scores below are calculated using our weighting system. Since the original publication may use a different scoring methodology that wasn't shared, these results may differ from their published rankings. You can adjust the weightings below to explore how different priorities affect the results.
Dry 20%
Wet 35%
Snow 30%
Comfort 5%
Value 10%
Dry 20% · Wet 35% · Snow 30% · Comfort 5% · Value 10%
Fine-tune sub-categories
Dry
Wet
Snow
Comfort
Value

Test Results Data

BEST Good Average Below Average
# Tyre Total Score Dry Wet Snow Comfort Value
Braking M Handling Km/H % Braking M Handling Km/H Straight Aqua Km/H % Braking M Handling Km/H % Noise dB % Wear KM Value Price/1000 Price Rolling Resistance kg / t %
1 ▲4 Hankook Winter i cept RS2 95% 45.8 107.6 3 92.1% 34.9 72.2 81 98% 27.7 52.2 98.2% 67.8 95.6% 59850 2 4.09 2 245 9.13 84.4%
2 ▲4 Goodyear UltraGrip 9 94.3% 46.3 106.3 91% 35.5 71.8 83.3 97.3% 27 52.8 100% 67.4 96.1% 48600 5.76 280 7.63 2 76%
3 ▼1 Continental WinterContact TS 860 94.1% 45.6 106 91.5% 34.5 2 72.8 86.4 2 99.5% 27.6 51.9 98.1% 66.3 97.7% 47250 6.77 320 8.01 3 70.4%
4 ▼3 Dunlop Winter Sport 5 93.8% 45.6 106.4 91.7% 34.8 3 72.1 80.6 98% 28.1 51.5 96.9% 66.4 97.6% 51750 5.6 290 8.17 75.6%
5 ▼2 Kleber Krisalp HP3 93.7% 45 106.1 92.2% 35.9 71.4 80.6 96.2% 27.1 2 52.3 99.3% 64.8 100% 41400 5.8 240 8.48 71.8%
6 ▼2 Fulda Kristall Control HP2 93.6% 45.6 106.2 91.6% 34.8 3 71.1 81.3 97.4% 27.6 51.6 97.8% 65.6 3 98.8% 42750 5.96 255 8.06 72.5%
7 ▲4 Michelin Alpin 5 93.6% 45.5 106.4 91.8% 37.1 71.5 83.8 95.3% 28.4 50.6 95.5% 68.2 95% 72450 4.07 295 9.14 87.8%
8 ▲4 Semperit Master Grip 2 93.3% 47.1 104.8 89.6% 35.9 72.1 79.5 96.5% 27.4 3 52 98.5% 65.6 3 98.8% 45900 5.45 250 8.49 74.2%
9 Nokian WR D4 93.2% 44.5 105.7 92.5% 37.3 69.7 76.8 93.1% 27.6 52.7 2 98.9% 66.4 97.6% 47700 5.66 270 6.96 79.1%
10 ▼2 Falken Eurowinter HS01 92.9% 45.3 106.4 92% 36.2 70.5 88.3 96.3% 28 51.6 97.1% 66.3 97.7% 40500 5.56 225 2 9.03 71.4%
11 ▼1 Uniroyal MS Plus 77 92.7% 47.2 105.1 89.7% 36.1 72.1 83.5 96.8% 27.9 51.8 97.5% 68.4 94.7% 43650 5.61 245 8.49 73%
12 ▲2 Bridgestone Blizzak LM001 EVO 92.7% 46.3 105.1 90.5% 34.3 71.1 84.8 3 98.5% 29.8 50.2 93% 64.8 100% 43650 5.38 235 8.03 75.7%
13 ▲8 Reference All Season 92.5% 42.2 2 107.7 2 95.8% 34.9 71.9 79.6 97.6% 29.5 50.1 93.3% 65.7 98.6% 52200 3 5.46 8.15
14 ▼1 Pirelli Cinturato Winter 92.2% 45.7 105.2 91.1% 35.9 72.5 2 83.5 97.2% 27.4 3 52.6 3 99.1% 65.6 3 98.8% 28800 9.99 295 8.88 56.2%
15 ▼8 Debica Frigo HP2 92.1% 44.9 106 92.2% 36.6 70.2 76.4 94.1% 28.1 51 96.4% 66 98.2% 41400 5.68 235 8.58 72.1%
16 Barum Polaris 3 91.7% 47.1 106.2 90.2% 36.7 69.5 75.6 93.5% 27.8 52 97.9% 68.2 95% 39150 6.13 240 8.11 71.1%
17 ▼2 Yokohama BluEarth Winter V905 91.5% 43.8 3 106.5 93.5% 36.6 70.9 80.3 95% 29.5 50.4 93.6% 66.5 97.4% 40500 6.42 260 8.32 69.4%
18 Matador MP 92 Sibir Snow 91.4% 46.2 105.6 90.8% 36.6 69.6 75.2 93.6% 28.6 51.5 96.1% 66.2 97.9% 34200 5.85 200 8.68 70.5%
19 Firestone Winterhawk 3 91.3% 46.6 105.6 90.4% 38.2 67.5 79.2 91.1% 27.8 51.8 97.7% 67.3 96.3% 45000 5.11 3 230 3 8.66 75.5%
20 ▼3 Vredestein Snowtrac 5 91% 44.8 106.5 92.5% 38 70.5 79.4 93.1% 27.9 51.7 97.4% 67.7 95.7% 33300 8.11 270 8.43 62.5%
21 ▼1 Gislaved Euro Frost 6 91% 47.1 106.6 90.4% 37 69.3 75.1 93% 28.1 51.4 96.8% 67.4 96.1% 37800 6.48 245 8.49 68.3%
22 Reference Summer 78.1% 39.5 109.9 100% 35.9 72.3 3 83.6 97.1% 43.2 27.6 57% 67.8 95.6% 8.48
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Dry 92% Wet 98% Snow 98% Comfort 96% Value 84%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45.8 M
Dry Handling 107.6 Km/H 3
Wet
Wet Braking 34.9 M
Wet Handling 72.2 Km/H
Straight Aqua 81 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 27.7 M
Snow Handling 52.2 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 67.8 dB
Value
Wear 59850 KM 2
Value 4.09 Price/1000 2
Price 245
Rolling Resistance 9.13 kg / t
2
94.3%
Dry 91% Wet 97% Snow 100% Comfort 96% Value 76%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 46.3 M
Dry Handling 106.3 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 35.5 M
Wet Handling 71.8 Km/H
Straight Aqua 83.3 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 27 M
Snow Handling 52.8 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 67.4 dB
Value
Wear 48600 KM
Value 5.76 Price/1000
Price 280
Rolling Resistance 7.63 kg / t 2
Dry 92% Wet 100% Snow 98% Comfort 98% Value 70%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45.6 M
Dry Handling 106 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 34.5 M 2
Wet Handling 72.8 Km/H
Straight Aqua 86.4 Km/H 2
Snow
Snow Braking 27.6 M
Snow Handling 51.9 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 66.3 dB
Value
Wear 47250 KM
Value 6.77 Price/1000
Price 320
Rolling Resistance 8.01 kg / t 3
4
93.8%
Dry 92% Wet 98% Snow 97% Comfort 98% Value 76%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45.6 M
Dry Handling 106.4 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 34.8 M 3
Wet Handling 72.1 Km/H
Straight Aqua 80.6 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 28.1 M
Snow Handling 51.5 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 66.4 dB
Value
Wear 51750 KM
Value 5.6 Price/1000
Price 290
Rolling Resistance 8.17 kg / t
5
93.7%
Dry 92% Wet 96% Snow 99% Comfort 100% Value 72%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45 M
Dry Handling 106.1 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 35.9 M
Wet Handling 71.4 Km/H
Straight Aqua 80.6 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 27.1 M 2
Snow Handling 52.3 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 64.8 dB
Value
Wear 41400 KM
Value 5.8 Price/1000
Price 240
Rolling Resistance 8.48 kg / t
Dry 92% Wet 97% Snow 98% Comfort 99% Value 73%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45.6 M
Dry Handling 106.2 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 34.8 M 3
Wet Handling 71.1 Km/H
Straight Aqua 81.3 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 27.6 M
Snow Handling 51.6 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 65.6 dB 3
Value
Wear 42750 KM
Value 5.96 Price/1000
Price 255
Rolling Resistance 8.06 kg / t
7
93.6%
Dry 92% Wet 95% Snow 96% Comfort 95% Value 88%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45.5 M
Dry Handling 106.4 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 37.1 M
Wet Handling 71.5 Km/H
Straight Aqua 83.8 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 28.4 M
Snow Handling 50.6 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 68.2 dB
Value
Wear 72450 KM
Value 4.07 Price/1000
Price 295
Rolling Resistance 9.14 kg / t
8
93.3%
Dry 90% Wet 97% Snow 99% Comfort 99% Value 74%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 47.1 M
Dry Handling 104.8 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 35.9 M
Wet Handling 72.1 Km/H
Straight Aqua 79.5 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 27.4 M 3
Snow Handling 52 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 65.6 dB 3
Value
Wear 45900 KM
Value 5.45 Price/1000
Price 250
Rolling Resistance 8.49 kg / t
9
93.2%
Dry 93% Wet 93% Snow 99% Comfort 98% Value 79%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 44.5 M
Dry Handling 105.7 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 37.3 M
Wet Handling 69.7 Km/H
Straight Aqua 76.8 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 27.6 M
Snow Handling 52.7 Km/H 2
Comfort
Noise 66.4 dB
Value
Wear 47700 KM
Value 5.66 Price/1000
Price 270
Rolling Resistance 6.96 kg / t
10
92.9%
Dry 92% Wet 96% Snow 97% Comfort 98% Value 71%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45.3 M
Dry Handling 106.4 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 36.2 M
Wet Handling 70.5 Km/H
Straight Aqua 88.3 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 28 M
Snow Handling 51.6 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 66.3 dB
Value
Wear 40500 KM
Value 5.56 Price/1000
Price 225 2
Rolling Resistance 9.03 kg / t
11
92.7%
Dry 90% Wet 97% Snow 98% Comfort 95% Value 73%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 47.2 M
Dry Handling 105.1 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 36.1 M
Wet Handling 72.1 Km/H
Straight Aqua 83.5 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 27.9 M
Snow Handling 51.8 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 68.4 dB
Value
Wear 43650 KM
Value 5.61 Price/1000
Price 245
Rolling Resistance 8.49 kg / t
Dry 91% Wet 99% Snow 93% Comfort 100% Value 76%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 46.3 M
Dry Handling 105.1 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 34.3 M
Wet Handling 71.1 Km/H
Straight Aqua 84.8 Km/H 3
Snow
Snow Braking 29.8 M
Snow Handling 50.2 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 64.8 dB
Value
Wear 43650 KM
Value 5.38 Price/1000
Price 235
Rolling Resistance 8.03 kg / t
13
92.5%
Dry 96% Wet 98% Snow 93% Comfort 99% Value 78%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 42.2 M 2
Dry Handling 107.7 Km/H 2
Wet
Wet Braking 34.9 M
Wet Handling 71.9 Km/H
Straight Aqua 79.6 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 29.5 M
Snow Handling 50.1 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 65.7 dB
Value
Wear 52200 KM 3
Value 5.46 Price/1000
Rolling Resistance 8.15 kg / t
14
92.2%
Dry 91% Wet 97% Snow 99% Comfort 99% Value 56%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45.7 M
Dry Handling 105.2 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 35.9 M
Wet Handling 72.5 Km/H 2
Straight Aqua 83.5 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 27.4 M 3
Snow Handling 52.6 Km/H 3
Comfort
Noise 65.6 dB 3
Value
Wear 28800 KM
Value 9.99 Price/1000
Price 295
Rolling Resistance 8.88 kg / t
15
92.1%
Dry 92% Wet 94% Snow 96% Comfort 98% Value 72%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 44.9 M
Dry Handling 106 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 36.6 M
Wet Handling 70.2 Km/H
Straight Aqua 76.4 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 28.1 M
Snow Handling 51 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 66 dB
Value
Wear 41400 KM
Value 5.68 Price/1000
Price 235
Rolling Resistance 8.58 kg / t
16
91.7%
Dry 90% Wet 94% Snow 98% Comfort 95% Value 71%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 47.1 M
Dry Handling 106.2 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 36.7 M
Wet Handling 69.5 Km/H
Straight Aqua 75.6 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 27.8 M
Snow Handling 52 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 68.2 dB
Value
Wear 39150 KM
Value 6.13 Price/1000
Price 240
Rolling Resistance 8.11 kg / t
Dry 94% Wet 95% Snow 94% Comfort 97% Value 69%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 43.8 M 3
Dry Handling 106.5 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 36.6 M
Wet Handling 70.9 Km/H
Straight Aqua 80.3 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 29.5 M
Snow Handling 50.4 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 66.5 dB
Value
Wear 40500 KM
Value 6.42 Price/1000
Price 260
Rolling Resistance 8.32 kg / t
Dry 91% Wet 94% Snow 96% Comfort 98% Value 71%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 46.2 M
Dry Handling 105.6 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 36.6 M
Wet Handling 69.6 Km/H
Straight Aqua 75.2 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 28.6 M
Snow Handling 51.5 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 66.2 dB
Value
Wear 34200 KM
Value 5.85 Price/1000
Price 200
Rolling Resistance 8.68 kg / t
Dry 90% Wet 91% Snow 98% Comfort 96% Value 76%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 46.6 M
Dry Handling 105.6 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 38.2 M
Wet Handling 67.5 Km/H
Straight Aqua 79.2 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 27.8 M
Snow Handling 51.8 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 67.3 dB
Value
Wear 45000 KM
Value 5.11 Price/1000 3
Price 230 3
Rolling Resistance 8.66 kg / t
20
91%
Dry 93% Wet 93% Snow 97% Comfort 96% Value 63%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 44.8 M
Dry Handling 106.5 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 38 M
Wet Handling 70.5 Km/H
Straight Aqua 79.4 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 27.9 M
Snow Handling 51.7 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 67.7 dB
Value
Wear 33300 KM
Value 8.11 Price/1000
Price 270
Rolling Resistance 8.43 kg / t
21
91%
Dry 90% Wet 93% Snow 97% Comfort 96% Value 68%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 47.1 M
Dry Handling 106.6 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 37 M
Wet Handling 69.3 Km/H
Straight Aqua 75.1 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 28.1 M
Snow Handling 51.4 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 67.4 dB
Value
Wear 37800 KM
Value 6.48 Price/1000
Price 245
Rolling Resistance 8.49 kg / t
22
78.1%
Dry 100% Wet 97% Snow 57% Comfort 96% Value 82%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 39.5 M
Dry Handling 109.9 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 35.9 M
Wet Handling 72.3 Km/H 3
Straight Aqua 83.6 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 43.2 M
Snow Handling 27.6 Km/H
Comfort
Noise 67.8 dB
Value
Rolling Resistance 8.48 kg / t
Not every driver has the same priorities. Adjust the category weightings above to re-rank the tyres based on what matters most to your driving style.
Scores are colour-coded from red (weakest) through yellow to green (strongest) to help you quickly spot each tyre's strengths and weaknesses.
The original test ranking is shown in the # column. Arrows indicate how each tyre moves when your custom weighting is applied.

Discussion

29 comments
  1. Dave archived

    I don't get it. How snow tyres can be 27 meters in snow braking meanwhile all-season tyres in snow braking is 16.9 meters. So... with these tests all-season tyres are better then winter tyres? Can someone explain it to me?

    #7635
    1. Dave Dave archived

      Just trying to figure out the distance of snow braking by Gislaved Euro Frost 6 vs Michelin CrossClimate2 and how worse all-season tyres are. But i'm confused now. It can't be that All-season tyres have better snow braking.

      #7636
      1. TyreReviews Dave archived

        The all season tyre was better than ONE winter tyre in this test (from 2018) so I'm not sure what's confusing. There's bad winter tyres and good all season tyres

        #7637
        1. Deividas Štrimaitis TyreReviews archived

          How so? Take for example the worst all-season tyre Vredestein (18.08 meters) and compare to the best winter tyre GoodYear Ultragrip (27 meters). So.. even the worst all-season tyre outperformed the best winter tyre by 9 meters shorter distance? Maybe i'm not understanding something.

          #7638
          1. Deividas Štrimaitis Deividas Štrimaitis archived

            Okey i think i got it. Numbers are just wrong in 2018 winter braking, cuz in your youtube video results seem fine and 2021 winter tyre results are also fine.

            #7639
              1. Deividas Štrimaitis TyreReviews archived

                I'm looking at this page above. 2018 winter tyre snow braking. Best tyre is 27 meters. And then i'm looking at 2021 all-season tyres. Best tyre at snow braking is 16.91 meters. And for example 2021 best winter tyre is 15.67 meters. You sure it's correct numbers in 2018? 27 meters was the best? Just scroll up and check snow braking. If it's correct then it means over 3 years tyres have improved alot. Hopefully now you understood ?

                #7641
                  1. Deividas Štrimaitis TyreReviews archived

                    Yeah i didn't understand at first sorry. I thought both tests are yours. Cheers ? still would be interesting to see gislaved euro frost 6 vs. michelin crossclimate 2 but i'm sure difference wouldn't be big anyways.

                    #7646
              2. Deividas Štrimaitis TyreReviews archived

                It could be that i'm comparing auto bild results to your results. Auto bild results seem very different than yours. Maybe that's the issue.

                #7642
  2. Alison Munn archived

    Looking for advice on 225/55 19 winter tyre for SUV Xtrail. In Yorkshire but drive to Germany and Switzerland in winter.

    #5186
    1. TyreReviews Alison Munn archived

      All the usual suspects work well in the SUV sizes :)

      #5187
  3. Andy Holmes archived

    Can't believe I missed the Kleber! Just fallen for the tread pattern, looking at tests and reviews to try and put myself off has conversely resulted in me wishing to advertise a kidney on ebay..... No winter suitable tyres this year leaves me feeling vulnerable. Anybody want a kidney? :-)
    I know, Im sad, I should covet X-boxes or something, but im afraid tyres are much more desirable.... :-/

    #4051
  4. Peter Mellor archived

    Hi All, From the data on the winter tyres it seems that they could be used all season - would you say that this would be OK? - certainly from a cost basis - it would save money!

    #4014
    1. TyreReviews Peter Mellor archived

      I'll answer with a question - if you want an all season tyre, why not fit an all season tyre?

      #4015
      1. Peter Mellor TyreReviews archived

        I suppose its more to do with the latter part of my comment - they cost 3x as much!

        #4016
        1. TyreReviews Peter Mellor archived

          A good all season and a good winter tyre are pretty much priced the same!

          #4017
          1. Peter Mellor TyreReviews archived

            I appreciate that - as the results of the Auto Bild test had the 20 tyres cost from £64.70 to £41.60 - the older test of all season I understood to be £138 plus on those tested! If you can point me to the All season tyre at the £40 to £60 mark I'd be pleased. BUT I wonder if you could say that the winter tyre CAN be used all year safely or NOT?

            #4018
            1. TyreReviews Peter Mellor archived

              I would guess those two tests tested different sizes hence the different prices shown...

              #4019
              1. Peter Mellor TyreReviews archived

                Yes I see - was just checking the comparison and my size at 17" are significantly more than the 13" which matches the quoted price on this article. Will continue to check through and make a decision on balance between the All season and Winter as I go!

                #4020
  5. Jonathan Sweet archived

    Hi there - I have been enjoying your videos on Youtube and have now subscribed. This is the first year that I am planning on running a dedicated winter tyre on a mk7 Golf R. The challenge I am finding is that a lot of the tyres don't come in 235/35/19 - which is a fairly common performance size. The new Conti 860p does not come in that size, but I am thinking of plumping for the older Conti 850p (quite expensive for an older tyre though). I have yet to find any winter tryre test reviews for this size, but thought I would see if you have any views or thoughts.

    Cheers

    Jon

    #3976
    1. TyreReviews Jonathan Sweet archived

      Thanks for the kind words. In that size my money would go to Conti, Goodyear or Michelin, can't really go wrong with any of the big three!

      #3977
  6. Igor Voćanec archived

    Hi John, I have a question and you're probably the only one that can get an answer.
    As you know, manufacturers sell brand new "old" model tyre. For example Conti WinterContact TS830P is still sold today in some dimensions, DOT XX18, even if the model is very old.
    How does this tyre compound compare to original compound from years ago when this model was introduced? I'm sure it was updated... What do you think? Is this comparable to say TS850P? Thanks!

    #3935
    1. TyreReviews Igor Voćanec archived

      The compounds do get updated, but there's no guarantee that it has been updated. Usually the newer tyre is the better option as they have more advanced tread patterns and constructions.

      #3939
      1. Igor Voćanec TyreReviews archived

        Thanks! I know that newer tyre is better, it's just that some tyres are only available as older models in certain dimensions

        #3941
    2. Kolemjdouci Igor Voćanec archived

      The logical reply is: The current compound is the same or potentially improved, as this is usually not explicitly commented and you would need to ask the producer directly.

      What is known more general is the models comparison, e.g. here: http://www.tyrereviews.co.u...
      or here: https://www.continental-tyr...

      Would be useful if you can mention what kind of rare dimension you have that you can't find newer model than TS 830P...curious!

      Plus don't forget that newest successor for the UHP category from the given producer is http://www.tyrereviews.co.u...

      Hope this helps.

      #3947
  7. Andy Holmes archived

    Seems to me they've placed too much emphasis on rolling resistance, looking at the graphs the Hankook is a bloody exceptional tyre, yet it ended up quite low down. I can only see the rolling resistance weighting causing this, yet, the economy difference is very slight in real terms, and surely the significant safety benefits offered are of more importance in the winter...

    #3904
    1. TyreReviews Andy Holmes archived

      I agree, but 5th overall is still an excellent result for Hankook!

      #3913