JK Tyres launches its new line of tyres a while back. Named Levitas Ultra, the tyre range is aimed at the premium car segment which includes the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. The tyre range is currently offered in sizes ranging from 16 to 20 inches, with prices ranging from Rs 9,000 to Rs 18,000. With this tyre range, JK Tyres aims to bring the fight to some of its European rivals, claiming to have built a better product. To find out just how good they are, I along with a few other journalists was invited to Indore, to the government-owned NATRAX (National Automotive Test Tracks). There we put the car through a series of tests, to get a better sense of its capabilities.
The first leg of the testing process was the high-speed test, where we would find out how the tyres would hold up at speeds of 200 kmph +. Aimed at the luxury car market, it was important that the Levitas’ tyre noise be minimal, and allow for high stability at those speeds. Natrax’s four-lane high-speed test track, which is also Asia’s longest test track, spanned 11.3 km and was where we would be doing the high-speed test. Before the session was a briefing by five-time rally champion Hari Singh.
Driving the Mercedes-Benz C220d, it was obvious that there would be wind noise alongside diminished engine noise from the 2.0 litre diesel-powered motor when going flat out. But that aside, tyre noise was quite minimal. I also felt quite planted, at those high speeds, while gunning it out at speeds of around 241 kmph, and was quite at ease, knowing that the tyres were doing their job properly. There were a few moments where I thought I turned the steering wheel quicker than I was supposed to change lanes on the track, but even then, there was minimal screeching and the car felt quite stable. However, It was hard to say if the tyres improved the C-Class's ride quality as opposed to its factory tyres, as we were not testing them on India's roads.
Our second outing was to test how the tyres would handle when being subjected to the moose and slalom tests. The moose test is a test for cars that originated in Europe in a bid to collect data about how cars would handle a suddenly incoming object, such as a moose, a common animal in certain countries. We were informed that the tyres had been reinforced with polyester and high-strength polyamide, which aids in cornering, providing more grip.
For this test, I would be behind the wheel of an Audi A6 shod with the tyres. During my first run with the car, performing the moose test, I felt that the emergency lane change was carried out quite well, with no weaving at all despite some tyre squealing. During my second run, I increased the speed to around 105 kmph, and found out that the tyres still managed to provide good grip, while performing the operation. The Slalom test also went quite well, despite the Audi being a car with a longer wheelbase than most cars. I did notice a slight amount of rear tyre skidding when I did the slalom test a second time, although it was nothing I would be worried about and not the kind of skidding that could cause you to spin out.
It was clear that the Audi, being an all-wheel-drive sedan could tackle the test quite well, and it was difficult to initially ascertain how the tyres would perform on a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) vehicle. However, some of my fellow journalists who took the tests in a Mercedes-Benz E-Class said that the tyres held up quite well on the RWD long-wheelbase sedan.
The last part of the testing process was the brake test. The brake test was divided into two sections, dry braking and wet braking. The Levitas Ultra tyres feature AI-optimised grooves, for better grip on the wet surface. While my first run was on the dry surface at lower speeds, I then started pushing the tyres harder to see how they would perform. During the following runs, the tyres came to a stop quite quickly, which is quite reassuring. However, two groups had already tested the BMW 320d before us, which would've warmed up the tyres, increasing its grip. The BMW’s traction control was also on.
I did the same routine on the wet track, first driving slowly to get a feel, and then, pushing it hard. The tyres performed quite well on the wet track as well, with little to no fishtailing. However, while the wet track did give us an idea of the tyres’ abilities, I feel it is still no match for the intense monsoons several areas of the country face, and it should be noted that the tyres may perform differently in said conditions.
