Nokian is also the test winner in the German car magazines "Auto Zeitung" and "gute Fahrt"

Top ratings of "exemplary", "highly recommended", and "very good"

Shortest braking distance of all the tyres on wet and dry surfaces

The Nokian tyre is the winner of the summer tyre test 2012 in the German car magazine "Auto Bild", scoring the top rating of "exemplary". The Nokian tyre is also the test winner in the German car magazine "Auto Zeitung", scoring "highly recommended", and is rated as "very good" in the German Volkswagen and Audi magazine, "gute Fahrt". Awarding the "EXEMPLARY" seal of quality for the Nokian Z G2, "Auto Bild" (9/2012) writes: "Strengths: All-round talent with the shortest braking distances on wet and dry surfaces, good steering precision, stable directional control, and low fuel consumption".

Its braking distance is just 28 metres (!), and 22 metres shorter than the worst of all 50 car tyres tested on a wet surface. "The Nokian Z G2 has the best grip" and guarantees maximum safety. The Finn is by far the winner of the tyre test in "Auto Zeitung" (6/2012) and also gets the "gute Fahrt recommendation" (3/2012).

"Auto Bild" gave it "Grade 1" for "braking", "dry road", "Grade 1-" for "braking", and "skid pan", "wet road", and "fuel consumption". In the German school grading system, grade 1 stands for "very good" and 1- (one minus) is slightly less than a one.

"A clear win for the Nokian"

In its overall verdict, Auto Zeitung (6/2012) praises the tyre as follows: "A clear victory for Nokian H, that not only provides excellent performance on wet surfaces but is also fully convincing on dry surfaces and in the rolling resistance test." Auto Zeitung also gave very positive comments regarding the important wet testing results: "Fastest in handling, top-class for driving safety, and very strong in braking. The Finnish Nokian is a true professional on wet surfaces." The test results for dry surfaces are summarised as follows: "The Nokian receives points for its low rolling resistance, it brakes strongly, and it is also quiet to drive. It grips well at the limit and always reacts predictably".

"Nokian wins the comparison"

The title of the results chart is "TEST RESULT>> Nokian wins the comparison". The magazine explains its "GUTE FAHRT very good" verdict with much praise: "Nokian Z G2: For the first time, a Nokian tyre wins a GF tyre test […] and it completely deserves to, as the very balanced Finn manages to reach top marks not only for braking on wet surfaces but also for rolling resistance." "The Finn is mostly neutral to drive and free of load change reactions. It masters handling, offers great stability and good grip on wet surfaces, and achieves the best braking scores. Only longitudinal aquaplaning could be better. Comfort is good and rolling noise remains low. And as the icing on the cake, it provides the lowest rolling resistance. The frontrunner Nokian has 22 per cent less rolling resistance than the worst ranked tyres, meaning that it can save up to half a litre of fuel per 100 km compared to them".

The German motoring club ADAC (3/2012) gave the grade "very good" and the consumer protection organisation Stiftung Warentest (3/2012) awarded the Nokian V "good" for "dry", "good" for "wet", and likewise "good" for "fuel consumption". It scored "recommended" in the ACE Auto Club Europa GTÜ tyre test (2/2012), where it is among the top 3 tyres and received the highest score of all summer tyres for "safety on dry surfaces".

In Germany's biggest tyre test, "Auto Bild", the biggest car magazine in Germany with 2.81 million readers and Europe's number 1, tested the tyres of 50 brands in the 225/45 R 17 W/Y category for compacts and medium-sized cars. "Auto Zeitung" tested seven branded tyres and a budget tyre in the size 185/60 R 15 H, which fits many small cars. The "gute Fahrt" comparison covered six of the current tyres from well-known brands in the 225/45 R 17 W size, which are used on many compact cars like the VW Golf and the Audi A3. ADAC, Stiftung Warentest, and ACE tested the 205/55 R 16 V for vehicles in the compact and middle-sized class.

Test winner Nokian Z G2 combines great performance with nanotechnology for fast driving

Thanks to nanotechnology, the test-winning Nokian Z G2 high speed tyre now reacts faster to steering movements and delivers impressively precise handling. This premium tyre is high-performance, safe, wear-resistant, and considerably stronger than competitors' products under demanding driving conditions, according to the tyre tests.

Its development engineers at Nokian Tyres say it is not influenced by extreme temperature fluctuations or rain, it offers outstanding grip on wet surfaces as well as good aquaplaning properties, and it boasts excellent handling characteristics. The Finnish branded tyre is said to be exceptionally quiet and gives a comfortable ride. The winning Nokian Z G2 was designed for high-speed, high-performance cars and sports cars and is available from tyre dealers in 34 sizes from 16 to 20-inch, for the speed categories W (270 km/h) and Y (300 km).

The winning Nokian H includes 14 to 16-inch tyres with speed index H, the Nokian V 15 to 17-inch with speed index V.

For tyre-changes at your local tyre service centre, there are Nokian tyres available at competitive prices, as well as complete wheels including rims and tyres.

Nokian Tyres s.r.o

Tel. +420 222 507 761

Fax +420 241 940 635

dieter.koppner(at)nokiantyres.com

V Parku 2336/22

148 00 Praha 4

Video download link Nokian summer tyre campaign "Enjoy the water": http://youtu.be/ZIw-3SGarUU

Sources:

Auto Bild, no. 9, 2.3.2012; no. 8, 24/2/2012

Auto Zeitung, no. 6, 29/2/2012

gute Fahrt, no. 3, 29/2/2012

ADACmotorwelt, issue 3 March 2012

test, issue 3/2012

ACE Lenkrad, issue 2 15/2/2012

Nokian Tyres - the world's leading winter tyre expert

Being the world's leading winter tyre expert, Nokian Tyres is the only tyre manufacturer in the world that focuses on products and services that facilitate safe transportation in Nordic conditions. The company's innovative passenger car, van, and heavy-duty machinery tyres are mainly marketed in areas that have snow, forests, and changing seasons that make driving conditions demanding. Nokian Tyres also offers tyres especially tailored for the milder Central and Eastern European climate.

For over 75 years, the company has been developing, testing, and patenting solutions that promote driving safety and is the inventor of the winter tyre. The world's first winter tyre was created to tackle the freezing temperatures and winds in 1934. Since then, top-range products refined with Northern know-how have been introduced on a regular basis.

The world's northernmost tyre manufacturer tests its products under demanding and extreme conditions at its own test facilities in Ivalo, 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. At the beginning of the 1990s, Nokian Tyres became the first company to develop unique slush planing tests for winter tyres. In 2002, Nokian Tyres introduced the Nokian WR, which was the first winter tyre designed for fast driving (M + S) in the world. This was followed in 2007 by the Nokian WR G2 that has been praised in test reports for its exemplary grip and special ability to prevent slush planing. Its success story is now continued with the new Nokian WR D3 and A3: Nokian WR is the test winner in the winter tyre test 2011 of the German car magazine "sport auto" (11/2011) with the rating "highly recommended", in the TV show "auto mobil" of the German TV station "VOX" (23/10/11) and with "Auto Plus" (1211/2011), the French version of "Auto Bild".

The summer tyres from Nokian are also multiple test winners, offer high levels of safety, and save fuel. The Nokian tyre is the test winner of the summer tyre test 2012 in "Auto Bild" (9/2012) with the top rating "exemplary". The Nokian tyre is also a winner in "Auto Zeitung" (6/2012) with a rating of "highly recommended", and in "gute Fahrt" (3/2012) with the grade "very good", as well as "especially recommended" in the last "auto motor und sport" summer tyre test (7/2011) and also in the "Auto" tyre test (8/2011). ADAC (3/2012) and Stiftung Warentest (3/2012) awarded Nokian the grade "very good" for "dry", "good", for "wet" and likewise "good" for fuel consumption. Its rating in the ACE Auto Club Europa GTÜ tyre test (2/2012) was "recommended". The Nokian SUV tyre was also "highly recommended" in the last "Auto Zeitung" off-road tyre test (15/2011).

Nokian winter and summer tyres are developed and tested in harsh road conditions in Finland and shall offer high quality and top-level safety. Respect for the environment is one of the fundamental values of Nokian Tyres. The company has systematically worked towards minimising environmental hazards. The Nokian brand stands for environmentally friendly premium tyres. Nokian Tyres was the first tyre manufacturer to switch over to only using purified, low-aromatic oils in its production. Raw material and material choices are aimed at avoiding unnecessary harm to the environment. In Scandinavia and Russia, the high-value brand has a high level of awareness and a good reputation.

Nokian Tyres' net sales for 2011 totalled € 1.456 billion, and it had nearly 4,000 employees. The company owns the Vianor tyre chain that comprises over 910 stores in 23 countries. Nokian Tyres Plc's shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.

Press contact:

Dr. Falk Köhler PR

Dr. Falk Köhler

Tel.: +49 40 54 73 12 12

Fax: +49 40 54 73 12 22

22397 Hamburg

Germany

Further information:

Nokian Tyres s.r.o

Business Director Central Europe

Dieter Köppner

Tel.: +420 222 507 761

E-mail: dieter.koppner(at)nokiantyres.com

Product Development Manager Central Europe

Sven Dittmann Dipl.-Ing.

Tel.: +49 8143 444 850

E-mail: sven.dittmann(at)nokiantyres.com

Marketing Manager Central Europe

Lukáš Líbal

Tel.: +420 222 507 759

Nokian Tyres plc

Development Manager

Juha Pirhonen

Tel.: +358 10 401 7708

E-Mail: juha.pirhonen(at)nokiantyres.com

Technical Customer Service Manager

Matti Morri

Tel.: +358 10 401 7621