Kumho Solus HA31 tyre review

Overall score: 95.9%

Best all-season tyre test - Kumho Solus HA31

What we say: Needs updating and a better focus on UK driving conditions. Blackcircles.com: “Despite not having the best tyre label scores, the Kumho has received good feedback from our customers. Perhaps more work is required.”

In the face of newer designs the Kumho struggled – it was launched in 2014 – although the gap to the frontrunners was fairly small. It certainly suffered more than most from our focus on wet grip at the expense of outright performance on snow.

It was fourth on the white stuff, behind Goodyear, Nokian and Nexen. Third in braking was the highlight, and it worked well on the handling circuit, albeit off the pace and feel of the best.

Its troubles started in the wet, where it ended up last overall. Braking let it down regardless of temperature; it needed five metres more in the cold and over four metres extra in warmer weather than the standout Michelin.

It was controllable but slow on the handling track with generally low levels of grip and poor traction. Performance didn’t get much better in the dry, while fuel consumption was around four per cent off that of the dry-handling star Nokian.

Buy the Kumho Solus HA31 from Black Circles 

Price £67.79  
Snow braking 94.60% 3rd
Snow traction 89.70% 5th
Snow circle 98.20% 4th
Snow handling 96.30% 4th
Straight aquaplaning 96.70% 6th
Curved aquaplaning 75.60% 6th
Wet braking under 7˚ 83.40% 8th
Wet braking over 7˚ 84.50% 8th
Wet handling under 7˚ 93.50% 8th
Wet handling over 7˚ 93.10% 8th
Wet circle 94.80% 7th
Dry braking 90.00% 5th
Dry handling 96.30% 8th
Rolling resistance 82.90% 6th
Cabin noise 99.20% 4th

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