Three new Landsail winter tyres for Nordic driving

A Finnish winter can bring wet asphalt, slush, packed snow and ice during a single journey. To meet these changing conditions, Landsail is expanding its winter tyre range with three new models developed for Nordic driving.

The new range includes the Polar Dragon Soft, a Nordic studless winter tyre; the IceDragon, a studded tyre for passenger cars; and the IceDragon Van, developed for vans and light commercial vehicles.

Together, the three models cover different winter driving needs: a studless option for passenger cars, a passenger-car tyre with 24 stud contact rows and a reinforced studded tyre for commercial vans.

Polar Dragon Soft – a Nordic studless tyre for ice and snow

The new Landsail Polar Dragon Soft is a Nordic studless winter tyre developed for low temperatures and demanding winter roads.

Its soft rubber compound is designed to remain flexible in freezing conditions. This allows the tread to adapt more effectively to the road surface and helps the tyre maintain its winter characteristics as temperatures fall.

The tread features a dense network of wave-shaped sipes that creates numerous additional biting edges. These support traction on packed snow and icy surfaces. At the same time, the directional V-shaped tread pattern helps channel water and slush away from the contact patch and allows loose snow to clear more efficiently.

In addition to the M+S and 3PMSF markings, the Polar Dragon Soft carries the official Ice Grip pictogram. This confirms that the tyre type meets the required performance level in a standardised ice-braking test.

The Polar Dragon Soft is designed for drivers who prefer the comfort of a studless tyre but still need a soft-compound model developed specifically for Nordic winter conditions.

Read more about the Landsail Polar Dragon Soft and its winter features.

IceDragon – studded winter performance across 24 contact rows

The Landsail IceDragon is a new studded winter tyre for passenger cars. Its key feature is a stud layout that forms 24 separate contact rows across the width of the tread.

The term “24 stud rows” does not refer to the total number of studs. Instead, it describes the different lines along which the studs engage with the road as the tyre rotates. By distributing the studs from the central tread area towards the shoulders, a wider section of the contact patch can contribute to mechanical grip on ice.

The studs are complemented by dense wave-shaped siping and a directional V-shaped tread pattern. Metal studs provide mechanical grip on ice, while the sipes and sharp tread edges support traction on packed snow. Open channels help move water, slush and loose snow away from the tyre.

IceDragon follows the direction established by the previous Landsail ice STAR iS33, but it is not simply the same model under a new name. The new tyre introduces an updated tread pattern, denser wave-shaped siping and a stud layout divided into 24 contact rows.

It is intended for drivers who regularly encounter icy or snow-covered roads and want the added reassurance of a studded winter tyre.

Read more about the IceDragon’s 24 stud contact rows and tread design.

IceDragon Van – a reinforced winter tyre for working vehicles

The Landsail IceDragon Van is a C-marked studded tyre developed for vans and light commercial vehicles.

Although it shares its name with the passenger-car IceDragon, the Van model is not simply a larger version of the same tyre. It has its own tread design and a reinforced construction developed around the greater weight, changing loads and intensive daily use of commercial vehicles.

A working van may begin the day empty, carry a full load later and make numerous stops along the same route. Its tyres must therefore provide consistent performance as the load and road conditions change.

The IceDragon Van’s studs are distributed across different areas of the tread to support traction, braking and directional control. Dense siping adds biting edges on snow and ice, while the directional channels help remove water and slush from the contact patch.

The model is suitable for couriers, maintenance providers, construction companies and other users whose vans must operate in towns, on motorways and along smaller snow-covered roads throughout the winter.

Read more about the construction and winter features of the Landsail IceDragon Van.

Developed with Euro 7 requirements in mind

Euro 7 does not address vehicle exhaust emissions alone. It also introduces requirements concerning particles released through tyre wear, making controlled wear and durability increasingly important in tyre development.

According to the manufacturer, the IceDragon and IceDragon Van have been developed with the applicable Euro 7 requirements in mind. The aim is to balance the winter grip required in Nordic conditions with durability, controlled tread wear and the environmental objectives set for a new generation of tyres.

A broader Landsail range for Finnish winter conditions

The three new models make Landsail’s Nordic winter tyre range more comprehensive:

• Polar Dragon Soft – a Nordic studless winter tyre for passenger cars;
• IceDragon – a studded passenger-car tyre with 24 stud contact rows;
• IceDragon Van – a reinforced C-marked studded tyre for vans and light commercial vehicles.

The sidewall markings on the Polar Dragon Soft and the passenger-car IceDragon indicate that the tyres are manufactured at the new Moroccan facility operated by Qingdao Sentury Tire Co., Ltd. The modern plant uses automated material handling, digital production management and production process monitoring.

According to the manufacturer, the IceDragon and IceDragon Van have also been developed with the relevant Euro 7 requirements in mind. For tyres, Euro 7 addresses particles released through tread wear, requiring manufacturers to balance winter grip, durability and controlled wear.

The Landsail Polar Dragon Soft, IceDragon and IceDragon Van will soon be available from the Rengas24 winter tyre range.