Continental Tires has revealed a new version of its Maxcontact performance tyre, the Maxcontact MC7, ahead of the start of sales in Australia in June.
The Maxcontact MC7 replaces the Maxcontact MC6 in Continental's product line, positioned as a high-performance tire for everyday road driving.
On the performance scale, the Maxcontact MC7 is higher than the Comfortcontact CC7 and Ultracontact UC7 in the Continental range, but lower than the Sportcontact 7 – the latter roughly equivalent to the Michelin Pilot Sport.
The company claims the new tire is superior to its predecessor in terms of dry road handling, dry braking, wet braking, noise and fuel economy. Wet handling and durability remain unchanged for the new version.
Aiming directly at the Asia Pacific (APAC) market, Continental claims it focused on wet braking and precise steering in developing the Maxcontact MC7 with a design that is said to be capable of steering and handling. Water under the brakes is better.
“The Continental Maxcontact MC7 is perfect for drivers in the APAC market who need performance and safety on wet and challenging roads,” Continental Tires Australia managing director Mitchell Golledge told CarExpert. .
Typically, sports tires developed for European conditions transmit too much road noise to the cabin on the less-than-perfect highways of rural Australia. Continental says it has reduced tire noise by creating grooves into the tread grooves to prevent excess sound from entering the cabin.
The Continental Maxcontact MC7 tire is already on sale in other APAC markets such as New Zealand and Malaysia, but will be available Down Under from June 1 this year in sizes from 17 inches to 20 inches.
Pricing is determined by retailers, but is expected to be on par with the upcoming Maxcontact MC6 which starts at around $200 per tire, depending on the seller.
“The Maxcontact MC7 will have a similar suggested price to the MC6, but you will get better tyres,” Mr Golledge added.
In Australia, the Maxcontact MC7 will go up against street performance tires from Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Goodyear and Kumho.
Stay tuned for our impressions of the new tires coming soon on the site.
