Types of Tyres - Cars

The tyres of any car define the ride quality that a driver/rider will experience on that car.

No doubt bias tyres have long been out of production paving way for radial tyres which was made available to people since as early as 1940s. But with advancement in automotive technology, tyres are now developed to cater to specific type of cars, specific driving conditions, weather, terrain, etc.

In this blog, I am going to tell you about the types of car tyres that are available in the market and the purposes they serve.

Summer Tyres

Summer tyres are designed and created to perform best during summer months and countries with mostly hotter climates. The unique tread pattern ensures optimum performance in both dry & wet roads when the air temperature is above 7°C.

Summer tyres come with softer rubber compound, simple tread pattern and less grooves and sipes. This design allows summer tyres to have better grip on the tarmac and thus ensures better traction, effortless handling and superior braking ability. 

This is the tyre that you will find as a standard fitment across all major car brands in India. Considering that very parts of the country experience temperatures below 7°C, you wont really need any other type of tyre as long as you stick to the tarmac.

(Summer Tyres)

Benefits of Using Summer Tyres

Some of the advantages of using a summer tyre are:

1. Enhanced Mileage & Lesser Fuel Consumption - Due to less elasticity, the rolling resistance of these tyres are reduced. Drives benefit from this feature as the tyres last long and deliver a better fuel economy.

2. Great Driver Comfort & Reduced Noise - Since summer tyres are softer than winter tyres, it also means that they are better at absorbing vibrations from rough or uneven road surfaces. This feature makes the tyres generally quieter and offer better ride comfort to the drivers.

3. Greater Control - Softer tyres provide a much better grip on dry surfaces. Thus during the milder months, summer tyres provide unparalleled handling and steering stability.  


Winter Tyres

Most commonly known as wet-weather tyres, winter tyres are exceptional companions if you driving is mostly in placed with temperatures below 7°C and roads that are mostly wet or snowy

The amount of natural rubber in winter tyres is substantially more. Due to this fact, winter tyres do not harden during cold weather and remains flexible at temperatures below 7°C and helps reduce the stopping distance by a great margin.

The minute treads of winter tyres allows the tread to hold onto the snow, ice and wet road conditions giving it an interlocking grip and ensures that the car does skid or deviate from the track.

(Winter Tyres)

Benefits of Using Winter Tyres

Some of the advantages of using a winter tyre are:

1. Reduced Stopping Distances - Winter tyres reduce braking distance significantly in snow and ice.

2. Improved Safety & Performance - Due to the specifically developed compound with more natural rubber and increased groove ratio, a winter tyre maintains excellent grip in wet and snowy conditions and reduces chances of accidents.


3. Lesser Risk of Aquaplaning - Aquaplaning or hydroplaning is when your car loses traction on wet roads and this occurs when the water between your tyres and the road are not quickly removed. The tread pattern design of winter tyres can disperse a greater amount of water, effectively reducing the risk of aquaplaning.

All Weather Tyres

Well, these are the best tyres for countries with moderate weather, like India. In simple words, all-weather tyres are created with a perfect combination of the qualities of summer and winter tyres.

All Weather tyres are made of a intermediate rubber compound which delivers the same grip as summer tyres but do not harden on wet or snowy conditions. All Weather Tyres also come with a unique tread pattern that boasts of grooves that give aquaplaning resistance and sipes that guarantee interlocking grips in wet and icy conditions.

But there is a downside to all weather tyres is that the performance takes a hit. The best of summer and winter tyres will easily outperform and all weather tyre.

(All Weather Tyres)

Benefits of Using All Weather Tyres

Some of the advantages of using a all weather tyre are:

1. Avoid the Hassle & Cost - This is the best advantage of all weather tyres. You don't have to change your tyres every season. You don't have to buy separate set of tyres for summer and winter and you don't have to spend extra for changing them. 


2. All Round Performance - A summer tyre on snow or ice? That can end bad if not being careful. The one of a kind tread pattern on all weather roads provide a  better grip than summer tyres. Most all season tyres are classified as winter-suitable and these tyres feature the "3-Peak mountain snowflake" symbol on the tyre sidewall. This symbol means the tyre has been approved for use in winter conditions.

All Terrain Tyres

All Terrain Tyres are specifically designed for SUV (Sports Utility Vehicles), Pick-Up Trucks and Heavy Duty Vehicles. The specialty of All Terrain Tyres is that it comes with a thicker sidewall which allows them to tackle uneven roads with absolute ease. The tread blocks are also large in design which have a firm grip on dirt, gravel and even lose sand.

Undoubtedly these tyres are amazing for places that don't have tarmac roads. But what about places that have good tarmac roads? Well this is where all-terrain tyres fall short, but by a small margin. On clear tarmac roads, the grip of All Terrain Tyres are a bit less. Thus it results in some amount of noise, and less grip. Less grip means you cannot plant your feet on the pedal (go at high speeds) as there is a risk or skidding or body roll which could lead to accidents and seriously injure drivers and passengers alike.

(All Terrain Tyres)

Benefits of Using All Terrain Tyres


Some of the advantages of using a all terrain tyre are:

1. Enhanced off road Grip - While the grip might not be so good on tarmac roads, but when it comes to off road, dirt, sand or gravel, these tyres deliver superior grip and handling due to their hard rubber compound and bigger grooves.

2. Durability - This is where All Terrain Tyres shine like the North Star. The durability and longevity of these tyres far out performs standard tyres.

Mud Tyres

Mud Tyres are a bigger version of all terrain tyres. Bigger grooves, thicker sidewalls, harder compound are perfectly made to tackle off-road conditions. One of the most important thing that one should be aware of is that off-road tyres are not a good option if your driving is limited to tarmac roads.

(Mud Tyres)

Other Types of Tyres

There are other types of tyres which are used in cars. These tyres come with one particular set of function or multiple function and are sometimes used in specific cars.

Run-Flat Tyres

These tyres come with a very unique feature. If your car comes with run flat tyres, you can drive the car for a certain distance (approximately 80 KMs) even when you encounter a puncture or decrease in tyre pressure due to external reasons.

Cars with run flat tyres come with inbuilt TPMS (Tyre Pressure Measuring System). The TPMS measures the tyre pressure in case of a puncture and that is why it is imperative that you drive your car at low speeds till you find a garage to get that tyre fixed.

Cars with conventional tyres can be fitted with run flat tyres but to effectively use that, you will also have to install a TPMS system in your car. Also, the downside of run flat tyres is that it cannot be repaired as it has been post damage. Also if you wish to switch to conventional tyres from run flat tyres, you need to install a puncture repair kit and spare wheel in your car's boot.

I would recommend that you take help from a tyre specialist for such cases.

That is all the necessary information you need to know about different types of tyres and what is best suited for cars. As for the remaining section of automobiles, I will be back with more exciting and intuitive content shortly.

Till then, safe driving and happy living.