New Premium Tread In The Market -- Vredestein Ultrac Vorti Initial Impressions

Tyres in an automobile are the only contact patch with the ground, affecting performance and handling to a great extent. However, despite being one of the most integral parts, buyers focus primarily on the pricing rather than buying a good set of rubber, especially during replacements. That said, Apollo Tyres might have a solution for you as it brings in its premium Dutch tyre brand, Vredestein Tyres, to India.

The made-in-India Vredestein Tyres comes as a boon, considering there's a dearth of high-quality rubber currently, thanks to the import ban. The Dutch brand is over 100 years old and was bought by Apollo Tyres more than a decade ago. 

We set out to the Buddh International Circuit to sample Vredestein's flagship Ultrac Vorti range of tyres. Used luxury cars, like BMW X1, Audi A6, and Mercedes Benz E-Class, were lined up in the pit lane for journos to test the rubber. We usually get new cars to test, but this was about the tyres. Vredestein's clientele comprises buyers seeking to replace or upgrade their tyres, which is why these used cars made sense.

The company claims around 20 percent less asking price than its imported French and Italian rivals, like Pirelli Cinturato P7 and Michelin Primacy 4ST. The made-in-India badge proudly sits on the sidewall. Its flagship range, Ultrac Vorti, will be available for Rs 12,000 to Rs 18,000 (with some exceptions) for premium and luxury cars.

These tyres are retailed through Apollo's existing network. Here in India, the Ultrac Vorti starts from 16-inchers (with a fatter 205 cross-section), going all the way up to 19 inches.

Below are the available tyres in this range: 

You wouldn't argue about the fact that BIC isn't an ideal place to test tyres, given its demanding nature. However, these luxury saloons and SUVs lined up were not really racing track-friendly machines. That said, it was a good opportunity to push the tyres to their limit. We had a few quick laps planned by Vredestein, spanning about 15 minutes.

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I got the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo shod with 245/50 R18 Ultrac Vorti. The first thing I noticed after the warm-up lap was the low tyre rolling noise, comparable to the Michelin Primay 4ST that I've tested before. Vredestein claims stiffer shoulder and sidewall construction, particularly meant for our conditions. 

Some of the most demanding BIC corners were part of the lap, and the tyres didn't squeal much, even on hard cornering. Unlike the 3, the BMW 3 Series GT does tend to roll a bit, yet the tyres felt stable and were gripping well. Vredestein claims good silica content in their tyres, and this promises confidence-inspiring braking (especially on wet surfaces), lowers fuel consumption and extends the tyre's durability.  

Sadly, we could not test the ride quality of these tyres on our roads, but they indeed seem able to take a beating. Another thing worth mentioning is the sidewall design of these tyres, which I think many companies don’t pay much attention to. Vredestein is proud of the tyres being designed by the famous Italian design house, Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. Even the branding “Giugiaro Design” sits conspicuously on the sidewall of the Ultrac Vorti. I especially liked the boomerang-shaped pattern on the tyre's sidewall and the fonts of the Ultrac Vorti brand.

Apart from the Vorti series, Vredestein also offers Ultrac for mass-market cars like Honda City and Hyundai Creta. The tyremaker swears a promising compound and robust sidewall construction for its relatively affordable series as well. The Ultrac range starts from 175/65 cross-section in 15-inchers and goes up to 215-60 for 17-inchers. I did not get the chance to sample the Ultrac range of tyres.

 

The Dutch brand also offers rubber for motorcycles, including high-performance bikes. There are two models for sale: Centauro NS and the Centauro ST range of tyres, which we also sampled at BIC, and you can read more about it here.