The high-performance Nokian Hakka Blue summer tyre can masterfully handle the rapidly changing road conditions in the summer.

Tailor-made for the northern roads, the newest member of the Hakka summer tyre range offers the best possible traction and precise handling for challenging wet roads, when drivers most often need a reliable partner.

The new innovations, the Dry Touch Sipe and Swoop Grooves, give Nokian Hakka Blue excellent grip and allow it to stop nearly a metre shorter than traditional summer tyres from a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) on a rain-soaked road.

This new tyre, designed especially for high-powered cars and with a good, accurate driving feel, offers uncompromisingly safe and comfortable travel from the first moments of spring until long into the autumn.

The eco-friendliness of this sporty tyre also adds to your peace of mind. Many innovations launched together with Nokian Hakka Green, the baby brother of the Hakka Blue, ensure that the novelty is green by nature and moves smoothly. Very low rolling resistance results in fuel consumption among the lowest in its class.

New innovations maximise wet grip

According to research, rain is the weather phenomenon causing the most traffic accidents. Driving is easy on a sun-scorched highway, but when a sudden rain shower strikes, the possibility of temporarily losing control grows. A key factor is the loss of tyre grip or dangerous aquaplaning, which can quickly turn the driver into a passenger.

When optimising the road contact and developing the structure of Nokian Hakka Blue, we aimed at maximising wet grip. We utilised a high-speed camera for this purpose to a great extent.

The finishing touch on the exceptional wet grip and anti-aquaplaning characteristics are the new innovations that effectively remove water from between the tyre and the road or store it temporarily, as well as the tread compound adapted for the varying conditions in the north, says Development Manager Juha Pirhonen from Nokian Tyres.

The new Dry Touch Suction Sipe effectively sucks the water out from between the tyre and the road, routing it to the main grooves of the tyre. This allows the Hakka Blue to achieve maximum contact on a rain-beaten road and establish a firm grip on the road surface.

The sipe shape ensures that the firm tyre has excellent wet grip, even when worn. The unique Dry Touch Sipe is larger at the bottom, which means that as the tyre wears, the groove volume does not decrease but rather increases.

To prevent aquaplaning, separate Swoop Grooves were shaped in the transversal main grooves on the inner shoulder. These elliptical slots store more water, as the volume of the transversal grooves increases.

The transversal grooves are also cut to be more open, which accelerates the flow of exhaust water as the tyre pushes its way through a water layer. The flow of the water displaced by the surface tread is also accelerated by the four wide and polished main grooves. Polishing the grooves also improves the stylish appearance of the tyre.

According to the comparison tests performed by Nokian Tyres, the Nokian Hakka Blue has a braking distance of 39.5 metres (129.6 feet) from a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). This is up to 0.8 metres (2.6 ft) less than traditional summer tyres.

Eco-friendly, comfortable ride

The new tread compound, a combination of silica and pine oil, is matched for higher speeds. The carefully selected combination also improves wet grip at very low temperatures, on those early spring mornings and as the autumn gets darker.

Pine oil added to the compound lowers the temperature of Hakka Blue by reducing the friction caused by molecular movement. This makes the Hakka Blue an excellent choice for varying summer weather. The end results are lower heat generation and rolling resistance.