Volkswagen tyres
Your tyres are one of the most vital parts of your Volkswagen. Here you’ll find all the information you need to understand yours better.
EU tyre labels
The easy way to find out what properties a tyre has.
The EU tyre label has been mandatory for all new tyres since 2012. Since May 1st 2021, the label has a new design and contains even more tyre-related information – for vehicles with combustion engines and for electric cars.
Do you want to know more?
Scan the QR code on the EU tyre label and receive additional information on your tyre, such as energy labels or product information sheets.
Tyre labelling
The numbers on the side of your tyres tell you a lot about them. Discover what they mean.
In our example, we’re using a tyre with the following numbers:
225 / 45 R 17 94 W – Explained
225 – tyre width
The first three digits tell you the width of the tyre in millimetres. In this case, the tyre is 225mm wide.
45 – the height to width ratio
Sometimes called the aspect ratio, this number is the profile height of the tyre’s sidewall expressed as a percentage. Here the tyre’s sidewall is 45% of its width, which is around 101mm.
R – tyre design type
The R tells you that this is a radial tyre, the most common design found in modern tyres. Radial tyres are constructed with the cord piles positioned at a 90-degree angle to the direction of travel to give the tyre extra strength. There are two other design types.
D (diagonal tyre) – The cords run diagonally. D tyres must never be used alongside R tyres.
RF (Run-Flat tyres) – These tyres are built with a reinforced sidewall that allows you to travel at reduced speed in the event of a puncture.
94 – load index
The load index tells you how much weight your tyres can carry. The load index runs from 65 to 124 with a higher number denoting a greater weight capacity. A load index of 94 means you can carry up to 670kg per tyre. This capacity may decrease at high speeds.
W – speed index
Graded in ascending order from L to Y, the speed index tells you the maximum speed your tyres can tolerate. W means the maximum speed is 168mph.
Date of manufacture
At least one of your tyres’ sidewalls will have an additional four-digit number printed on it. Known as the DOT (Department of Transport) number, the first two digits tell you which calendar week the tyre was made in and the last two the year.
The layers of your tyre
Car tyres are complex structures that have to withstand considerable strain. Every tyre is made up of a contact surface and a tyre substructure.
- Tread – for an effective grip on the road and for taking up and draining water
- Jointless bandage – enables high speeds
- Steel cord belt layers – optimise driving stability and rolling resistance
- Textile cord insert – maintains the shape of the tyre, even at high interior pressure
- Inner liner – renders the tyre airtight
- Side walls – protect against lateral damages
- Apex – supports driving stability, steering behaviour and comfort response
- Steel core – ensures a firm fit to the rim
- Tyre bead reinforcement – supports driving stability and precise steering behaviour
