Skip advert
Advertisement

Apollo Aspire 4

New cut-price brand promises to shake up the tyre market

Indian maker is a new name to the UK market, having launched just after buying former Auto Express tyre test champ Vredestein.

Apollo will be sold alongside the Dutch brand, targeting budget buyers – so it was no surprise to find it was the cheapest on test. Had we found it at an online retailer, its price advantage may have been even greater. Sadly, we weren’t surprised to see it towards the bottom of the results, either.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The stand-out performance was in wet cornering; the Aspire 4 edged the Vredestein here, which suggests a good wet road compound. It couldn’t repeat the form in the other rain tests; on the wet handling track, it allowed our powerful Golf GTI to break traction or lock all too easily, and had less grip than rivals.

Still, it coped well with the deeper water of the aquaplaning tests, finishing fifth and third here – albeit a long way behind the leader on the curve.

In the dry it was noisy, and required more steering lock than most rivals on the handling track.

Our Verdict

Apollo comes close to the bottom of the results table, but is far from disgraced.

On test…ScoreRanking
Wet braking78.5%10th
Wet handling94%10th
Wet cornering100%1st
Straight aquaplaning96.1%=5th
Curved aquaplaning80.2%3rd
Dry braking94.7%=7th
Dry handling98.9%6th
Rolling resistance94.2%5th
Cabin noise98.5%9th
Overall97%9th

Contact

Apollo: http://www.apollotyres.com/

 
 
Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £1,831 off RRP*Used from £15,519
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £2,721 off RRP*Used from £8,600
Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £38,140Avg. savings £3,019 off RRP*Used from £13,895
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,785Avg. savings £3,331 off RRP*Used from £9,600
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price
BMW X7 - front

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price

German firm’s flagship SUV could never be called cheap but it is exceptional value at £735 a month – making it our Deal of the Day for Sunday 27 April
News
27 Apr 2025
New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645
Kia PV5 Cargo on display at Commercial Vehicle Show - front 3/4

New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645

All-new entry into the van market promises competitive pricing and comes with a range of up to 247 miles
News
30 Apr 2025