Kumho Tyre Reveal: Kumho PS71 vs Kumho PA51

Kumho were taking the opportunity to launch two brand new tyres. The Kumho Ecsta PS71, which is a performance based tyre, and has actually been on the market for a few months, and the Kumho Ecsta PA51, which has only just come on the market.

The PS71 is, as you'll hear in the video, more performance oriented. It's a summer tyre that's built for having a spirited fling around the track. It gives you more feedback on what's happening on the road, as well as cornering and performing well. On the track I was able to give it a jolly good thrashing in the silver genesis, and it was remarkable how much easier the Genesis was to push hard in the corners than the Stinger, even though the Stinger has a bigger motor, bigger brakes, and is generally more performance oriented.

The PA51 tyres were mounted to the Kia Stinger, the harder, faster vehicle. Interestingly they gave it a more comfortable ride, which was a little hard to notice on the freshly upgraded Pheasant Wood Circuit, but you could certainly feel the difference between the two tyre types. Hitting the ripple strips (on purpose, honest!) meant less penalty, comfort wise, and cabin noise was, based on my relatively brief drive in two different cars, while also trying to best my (reasonably dodgy) lap times, quieter.

The part I found most interesting was that these tyres share the same casing. So everything, apart from the tread pattern and rubber compound, is the same. That means the PA51, which is the more comfort/all season oriented tyre, you're still getting a tyre that has a bit of a performance aspect to it, and can still perform reasonably well when pushed to it's (my?) limit on the track.

Anyway, check out the video and let us know what you think in the comments on YouTube :)

Here's a gallery of shots from the day, as well, so you can check out the tyres in action:

Jared Mendham: Good day. Jared from Tyre Review here. We're here at the Pheasant Wood Circuit in New South Wales for a launch of two new Kumho tyres.

                    Luckily enough, I've got David Basha from Kumho Tyres here to tell us about it. But David, can you give me a quick background on exactly who Kumho is?

David Basha: Jared, yeah, Kumho tyres has been in Australia for 40 odd years, and we'd be in the top five selling brands in Australia. Over the years, we've always tried to provide tyres that provided great value for money. So all our tyres come with all the latest specifications and high technical attributes without the price tag. So very much like a Kia or a Hyundai type motor vehicle. If you're ever looking to buy a car, that's what a Kumho tyre is in tyres.

Jared Mendham: Okay. So once I've worn through my first set of tyres, then I opt for you guys.

David Basha: Yeah, that's where I think we are most popular. Yes. The option to get something very, very good at a good price.

Jared Mendham: Yep. So tell me about these two tyres. We've obviously got a performance-based one here and a more comfort/weather looking one here. Well, what's the difference between the two?

David Basha: Okay. Well the main thing is is that both tyres have the same radial construction. So the casing, the inner casing of the tyres are exactly the same, and that ensures that the stability and driving stability and durability of the tyres remains the same. Difference really is in the tread patterns and in the tread compound.

Jared Mendham: Sorry, this tread pattern is more aggressive and this one is less aggressive obviously. What is this tyre designed for?

David Basha: Well, look, we feel it's important to provide people tyres that suit them. So in a lot of cases, people buy tyres and and they'll just take whatever's being sold to them. We feel that it's important that depending on who you are. So if you really like to feel your car and you like to drive and enjoy what your car can do, then a PS 71 is the tyre for you. It will really perform well in cornering and handling. If you want more of a smoother, quieter drive, the new PA 51 would be the tyre for you. It's designed for minimal road noise, and it's also designed to perform well in all conditions.

Jared Mendham: So even though they've got the same construction underneath, the tread pattern between these two is enough that it will actually be discernible between the two tyres when you've actually got them on the car.

David Basha: Yeah. You can very well notice. We're here at the track today. If you drive around the track at fairly high speeds, you will find that there is a difference in performance. We are understanding that a high performance tyre with a softer compound will handle better may not last as long. Where this tyre here is about normal driving, what we do all day every day, and it's going to last a long time as well.

Jared Mendham: So one of the things I've actually been out on the track today already and in both the Stinger and in the Genesis, and one of the things that are noticed with the performance tyre, and PA 71 versus the PA 51 is that the performance-based tyre was actually on the Genesis, which is the softer car. Whereas the PA 51 was already on the Stinger, which is the more hard core race car. And the performance tyres on Genesis actually meant that it brakes better than the Stinger did.

                    So the difference between the two and even in the lateral grip, so the silver car, the Genesis actually was cornering harder than the Stinger because it actually had the performance tyre on it. But like David says, the 51 is actually the more comfortable tyre. David, what about the individual specifications on the tread pattern? What should we be willing to be looking forward to these tyres when we're actually looking to purchase them?

David Basha: I think when you buy tyres, there's a few things you do need to look out in a tread pattern. And it's important that you see these major grooves here which allow in both tyres, we have them here, and they allow for water evacuation. They are very, very important in both of them in ensuring that water gets out of the tread so reduces your chances of aquaplaning. The other side of it is just the shoulders. And what's very important with that is that the shoulders themselves can lead to premature where if they're not built strongly, then if you don't look after your tyre, so you need to make sure that you're checking your tyre pressures and what not. So we've designed both of these tyres for strong shoulders and strong water evacuation.

Jared Mendham: Yes, they're both got hefty channels going through the middle. But it's interesting that the performance tyre actually has wider channels, wider sipes and then less of these smaller sipes in the actual tread blocks. While the more comfortable tyre actually has narrower central sipes or narrow central channels and then lots more individual siping. What's the reason for that?

David Basha: Well, they're used globally. So we use them here in Australia of course. We've got them here, but they're sold in Europe and in North America. So the PA 51 is designed for an all-season environment. So where it may have not an alpine area, but where there may be a little bit of snow from time to time. So the extra sipes or those little lines in the tread provide a little bit more grip if you are in a frosty or a snow-affected area. So they provide more surety in that without having to go to a full winter tyre. So that's the main difference between the two where PS 71 is a full summer tyre, which is what we predominantly use in Australia.

Jared Mendham: It'll still be safe in the wet obviously with the siping and that sort of thing. But if you're going to be going up to the hills or wherever, then this would be the tight choice for you.

David Basha: Yeah. The way we've been promoting this tyre is that it's a good all-season tyre, all around tyre, rain, hail or shine. It'll just work for you in all conditions. As long as you're the type of driver that is going to drive at a nice steady pace at the speed limit, take it nice and easy, that's a perfect tyre for you.

Jared Mendham: Excellent. Whereas if you like going above the speed limit-

David Basha: Yes.

Jared Mendham: That one.

David Basha: Which we talked about.

Jared Mendham: Yeah. So if you're going to be naughty, that one. If you're going to be nice, that one. And I think we've covered everything. Thank you, David.

David Basha: Thank you.

Jared Mendham: And thank you, everyone. Don't forget to like and subscribe to us on YouTube and Facebook, and we'll see you next time.