JK Tyre Feature-AIMING UPMARKET!

It’s not everday that tyre brands in India invite you to test their tyres in what is unarguably the most advanced vehicle test facility in the country. But miracles happen and with the launch of their flagship range of premium tyres – Levitas - JK Tyre invited us to Natrax in Indore to give us an opportunity to test their tyres on a variety of surfaces and see what the tyres have to offer in terms of performance.

Innovations

According to JK Tyre, there was extensive research done not just on the tread design of the Levitas, but also the compound of the raw materials to ensure optimal performance. At the same time, the Levitas  was also benchmarked against global products to ensure that the tyre can match or exceed its competitors across various parameters. Some of these development highlights include a polyester and high-strength polyamide body and AI optimised groove pattern to avoid aquaplaning and provide optimal wet weather grip and water displacement. It also features an optimised tread pattern that promises to offer an ideal combination of low road noise and yet offering good grip and traction. 

On Track

Having done our technical theory session, it was finally time to hit the track and tackle three different types of tests. First up, of course, was the high-speed oval where we were told to go as fast as we can and assess the high-speed stability and road noise levels in the isolated track environment. And topping out at 238km/h, our BMW 520d felt rock solid both on the straights, as well as the fast curves of the track. The road noise was also very controlled and within the levels of what we would expect from a good tyre.

From there, we moved on to a slalom course, that also featured what is known as the ‘Elk Test’. This essentially involves changing lanes at a high-speed to assess whether the tyres lose grip or not. In both tests, the Levitas performed really well, and it was possible to carry a lot of speed through the slalom course, despite the fact that we were hustling around a two-ton Mercedes E220d. Even in the Elk Test, the car remained stable despite the violent lane change at high speed and there was no loss of grip during the lane change maneuver.

The most impressive performance of all, for me though, was during the braking test. Here, JK had setup two test areas to test both braking in dry and wet conditions. In both conditions, the braking was progressive, the ABS didn’t kick in at all despite the hard braking and in the dry, the car stopped in an impressively short distance when braked to a halt from a speed of 100km/h. In the wet surface test, performed from the same 100km/h speed, the performance was even more impressive and the 320d we were driving stopped in a surprisingly short distance.

Now, while I would always prefer to do a comparative test with other tyres to truly draw inference on a tyre’s performance, but that was not the case in this test. Nevertheless, even in a standalone test, the Levitas performed impressively on road noise, braking and handling and in its own right, seems like a high-quality product. So, if you’re in the market for a 17-inch or 18-inch tyre, do keep the JK Levitas in your consideration set as it genuinely seems like a very competent and competitive product.

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The most impressive performance of all, for me though, was during the braking test of the Levitas