The Hankook Winter i'cept RS3 W462 secures second place, distinguished by its high level of balance and stability across various surfaces. This tire excels with its outstanding performance on wet asphalt and boasts the best hydroplaning resistance in its category. Additionally, it offers excellent value for money, making it a top choice for cost-conscious yet performance-oriented drivers.

Hankook tires excel in wet and snowy conditions, but their dry pavement dynamics need refining. Their overall wear resistance and fuel efficiency are praiseworthy.

Pros:

• Wet pavement adeptness
• Winter conditions proficiency
• Lightweight benefits
• Fuel efficiency

Cons:

• Limited dry performance
• Challenging wet conditions handling

The Hankook Winter i*cept RS3 performs commendably across various road conditions, securing a good rating on dry roads due to its safety in sudden maneuvers and strong braking performance, despite some precision limitations. In wet conditions, it excels in braking and lateral aquaplaning, with reliable handling but falls short in lateral aquaplaning. On winter roads, it impresses with second-best test results, showcasing above-average braking and acceleration, and excellent snow handling. However, it falls short in environmental balance due to below-average predicted mileage, despite its good ratings in abrasion and efficiency.

The Hankook i*cept RS3, in its second appearance in tests, showcases noteworthy improvement in dry and wet performance, reducing the margin between itself and top contenders like Bridgestone and Continental. It offers a well-balanced performance with a particular emphasis on dry conditions where it secured a clear win in handling.

• Positive: Remarkable improvement in dry and wet conditions, demonstrating high levels of grip and deft direction changes. Secured top positions in dry handling and wet braking, showing effective control and responsiveness. Achieved good rankings in aquaplaning tests, showcasing stability in wet conditions. Competitive pricing at £117.40 provides good value.

• Negative: Compromised snow grip, rendering it less comfortable in snowy conditions. Lagged in fuel economy, marking it as a significant area for improvement. Dry braking and cabin noise results were relatively lower compared to the competition.

This new tire from Hankook has a very well balanced performance on all types of surfaces. On the downside, this tire is noisy and has strong rolling resistance.

The tire ensures excellent handling response on snow but the longitudinal traction could be better. In addition, the RS3 has issues with hydroplaning resistance, wet braking, rolling resistance, and generally you could say that, although in recent years Hankook has been doing a lot to improve the performance of its tires, there is obviously still a long way to go.

New winter tires with balanced driving characteristics, dynamic wet and dry handling, good hydroplaning reserves. Moderate mileage, average comfort.

A very balanced tyre, excellent grip in all wet tests, good in the snow, good in the dry. Slightly elevated internal noise level, average rolling resistance.