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The Best Snow Tyres for 2025/26

Jonathan Benson
Tested and written by Jonathan Benson
11 min read
Contents
  1. Snow
  2. Ice
  3. Wet
  4. Dry
  5. Comfort
  6. Value
  7. Results
  8. Continental VikingContact 8
  9. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
  10. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
  11. Michelin X Ice Snow
  12. Marshal iZen KW31

For the 2025/26 Tyre Reviews Nordic Studless Winter Tyre Test, I have tested five friction winter tyres plus two reference sets (a studded tyre and a Central European winter tyre) across 21 tests in 6 categories: snow, ice, wet, dry, comfort/noise, and rolling resistance. If you drive in regions with frequent snow and ice, this is the group test you need. All these tyres are available to buy in North America and Europe!

Test Publication:
205/55 R16 5 tyres 6 categories
Test Size: 205/55 R16
Tyres Tested: 5 tyres
Test Categories:
6 categories (21 tests)
Similar Tests

Snow

Snow and ice performance is really important for these types of winter tyres. Yes, it's important for all winter tyres, however these are the types of winter tyres you fit if you live in a region that gets a lot of snow and ice, and they sacrifice dry and wet performance to give the best grip possible in winter conditions.

So are any of them bad in the snow? Not really. The Marshal was the slowest around the lap, but just 4.1% off the best. Subjectively you really did notice the tyre taking a little longer to respond to steering inputs, and sliding a little longer once you started sliding, but it was certainly an acceptable level of grip.

Then you had the Michelin and Nokian. The Michelin had great grip but its window between grip and no grip was rather abrupt, meaning it was a little trickier than the best to get around the lap. But let me emphasize: it is still an excellent tyre in the snow. The Nokian felt a little more drivable, really nice to drive and a tyre that works very well around the lap.

The Continental was the second fastest around the lap and had the best turn-in and steering reaction of all the tyres. I found the front to be so sharp it brought the rear of the car in more, but you could really attack the corners and feel confident. The fastest tyre by a tiny margin was the Goodyear, which had lots of grip and was very controllable.

How did the studded tyre compare? Midpack. Studded tyres generally have a slightly harder compound and/or construction than their friction counterparts in order to keep the studs in and pointing in the correct direction, so when you're driving in snow, you can be at a slight disadvantage.

The Continental WinterContact TS 870, which is what's called a Central European winter tyre and is meant to be a step down in snow performance, was actually faster than the Marshal—an impressive result for a tyre that should, in theory, be quite a lot better than the rest in the dry and wet. 

Snow Handling

Snow handling time in seconds (Lower is better)
  1. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    79.64 s
  2. Continental VikingContact 8
    80.20 s
  3. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    80.64 s
  4. Michelin X Ice Snow
    81.06 s
  5. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 Ref
    81.44 s
  6. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    81.91 s
  7. Marshal iZen KW31
    82.94 s

Snow Braking

Snow braking in meters (40 - 5 km/h) [Average Temperature -2.5c] (Lower is better)
  1. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    16.44 M
  2. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 Ref
    16.51 M
  3. Michelin X Ice Snow
    16.67 M
  4. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    16.67 M
  5. Continental VikingContact 8
    16.81 M
  6. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    17.02 M
  7. Marshal iZen KW31
    17.11 M

Snow Traction

Snow acceleration time (0 - 20 km/h) [Average Temperature -2.5c] (Lower is better)
  1. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 Ref
    2.79 s
  2. Continental VikingContact 8
    3.00 s
  3. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    3.08 s
  4. Michelin X Ice Snow
    3.12 s
  5. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    3.13 s
  6. Marshal iZen KW31
    3.18 s
  7. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    3.23 s

Ice

Ice is hard. Really hard. Did you know that there are many different types of ice? Smooth ice, which you find at places like junctions and is the hardest type to grip on; rough ice, which is actually pretty grippy; rough ice with light snow, which is slippy; and of course ice can be anywhere between freezing and -40°C, which also totally changes the grip.

Why am I telling you this? So you understand why the handling results are different from traction and braking. Handling was tested on rough ice; traction and braking on smooth ice.

Once again the Marshal was the slowest, but like in the snow, it had acceptable levels of grip. The grip was super peaky, so not the most friendly to drive, but it was fine. The Michelin X-Ice Snow suffered the same fate—great grip, in fact really great grip—but it had a little delay on the steering, and you had to be super smooth compared to the other tyres to get a time. Once you'd lost that grip, it dropped off quickly and took a while to recover.

Then, essentially, the final three tyres were all excellent. The Continental, Nokian, and Goodyear were all super easy to drive and had really good grip—an outstanding job for these three in terms of blending grip and drivability.

The TS 870 once again surprisingly overperformed, but how about the studs? This is ice, surely the studs were the fastest?! Well, no. On rough ice, the softer compound of the friction tyres can be a benefit as they flex more and key into the surface better than the studded tyre. The studded tyre was the most controllable though. Once it was sliding, you had so much reserve to keep the car going where you wanted it to - it was a pure joy.

The ice traction and braking testing was performed on smooth ice, and this is where the studs really flex - or don't flex, I guess. The studs were over 30% better than the best winter tyre, and the TS 870 over 60% worse. This is a huge gap and really shows how a compound designed with ice in mind makes all the difference. It also put the Marshal pretty far back, highlighting the cheaper compounding of that product.

Ice Handling

Ice handling time in seconds [Average Temperature -13.5c] (Lower is better)
  1. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    54.53 s
  2. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    54.76 s
  3. Continental VikingContact 8
    54.99 s
  4. Michelin X Ice Snow
    56.59 s
  5. Marshal iZen KW31
    57.31 s
  6. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 Ref
    58.77 s
  7. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    59.24 s

Ice Braking

Ice braking in meters (20 - 5 km/h) [Average Temperature -4.5c] (Lower is better)
  1. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 Ref
    6.10 M
  2. Michelin X Ice Snow
    6.97 M
  3. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    7.29 M
  4. Continental VikingContact 8
    7.31 M
  5. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    8.41 M
  6. Marshal iZen KW31
    8.59 M
  7. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    11.59 M

Ice Traction

Ice acceleration time (0 - 20 km/h) [Average Temperature -4.5c] (Lower is better)
  1. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 Ref
    4.49 s
  2. Michelin X Ice Snow
    6.46 s
  3. Continental VikingContact 8
    6.48 s
  4. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    6.50 s
  5. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    7.54 s
  6. Marshal iZen KW31
    8.20 s
  7. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    10.52 s

Wet

Wet performance is certainly an important quality of a winter tyre, but as this category of winter tyre is designed to spend most of its life on snow and ice, and as it's currently impossible to make a tyre that does amazingly well on both ice and the wet, it's fair to say the wet performance of these tyres has taken a second place in development.

That said, there is quite a spread of grip, and very surprisingly - even to me as I was testing blind - it was the Michelin that was the slowest around the lap. It was a safely balanced tyre but just lacked grip on the front axle. I was so shocked by this I pulled up all the recent tests of the X-Ice Snow, and yes, it seems the Michelin has fallen behind in the wet. It was one of the best on ice, so I guess they've traded wet performance for ice grip.

The Marshal was next, a little ahead on time, and pushed the balance of the Golf more towards oversteer, which you don't really want on the road. But the steering feel was good, so I'll give it a break.

Then there was quite a big gap to the third-placed Goodyear, which was really lovely to drive. Every time I use a Goodyear tyre on a Golf, it's a really lovely experience. Sure, it didn't quite have the most grip, but the balance was there.

The new Continental was second overall, getting around the lap in a really easy, stable way. A little understeer is what you want, and that's what you got.

And finally, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 was, quite frankly, unbelievable. Again, total surprise to me when discovering which was which, as historically the R5 has been more biased towards ice grip. But this time, it was in a class of its own in the wet.

Usually I can guess pretty accurately what tyre I was on, but in this test everything seems a surprise.

Sadly, due to proving grounds being incredibly expensive and the surfaces of handling tracks incredibly important to keep consistent, I can't test the studded tyre any further. But I can tell you that our Central European winter tyre, the TS 870, is on a totally different level. If you've ever switched from a regular all-season or winter tyre to a summer tyre, you'll know how much tighter the car feels, and that's how it feels switching from one of these soft compound friction snow tyres to a regular winter tyre. But that's the benefit you get from lower ice performance. 

Wet braking perfectly tracked wet handling, which always makes me so happy. Nokian had an even bigger advantage in the braking test, 12.5% better than the next best, the Continental.

 

Wet Handling

Wet handling time in seconds (Lower is better)
  1. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    86.30 s
  2. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    90.64 s
  3. Continental VikingContact 8
    93.12 s
  4. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    93.51 s
  5. Marshal iZen KW31
    97.20 s
  6. Michelin X Ice Snow
    98.01 s

Wet Braking

Wet braking in meters (80 - 5 km/h) (Lower is better)
  1. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    33.40 M
  2. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    37.70 M
  3. Continental VikingContact 8
    42.40 M
  4. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    43.70 M
  5. Marshal iZen KW31
    44.40 M
  6. Michelin X Ice Snow
    46.20 M

Residual Speed Calculator

Wet Braking: Safety Impact: Best vs Worst Tyre

Straight Aqua

Float Speed in Km/H (Higher is better)
  1. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    86.00 Km/H
  2. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    60.40 Km/H
  3. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    58.50 Km/H
  4. Michelin X Ice Snow
    57.30 Km/H
  5. Continental VikingContact 8
    56.60 Km/H
  6. Marshal iZen KW31
    56.20 Km/H

Curved Aquaplaning

Remaining lateral acceleration (Higher is better)
  1. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    3.36 m/sec2
  2. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    2.02 m/sec2
  3. Marshal iZen KW31
    1.79 m/sec2
  4. Michelin X Ice Snow
    1.69 m/sec2
  5. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    1.63 m/sec2
  6. Continental VikingContact 8
    1.51 m/sec2

Dry

While in some regions these tyres will barely see dry tarmac, I've of course still tested it.

In dry braking, the Nokian stopped the car the best, but just 0.3 meters ahead of the Continental, which were both a couple of meters ahead of the Marshal. Goodyear was fourth, and surprisingly the Michelin was last, which is unusual for the French tyre. Unsurprisingly, the milder winter tyre was the best overall, but not by as much as I expected.

The dry handling testing was the usual mix of steering testing and lane changes to assess stability and safety, and I did a lap time.

The Nokian was once again the best. This time Goodyear was in second and Continental in third, but as always the gaps were very close. All of the tyres felt a little sloppy during high-speed lane changes, but that's part of being an extreme winter tyre.

 

Dry Braking

Dry braking in meters (100 - 5 km/h) [Average Temperature 3.5c] (Lower is better)
  1. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    43.40 M
  2. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    45.30 M
  3. Continental VikingContact 8
    45.60 M
  4. Marshal iZen KW31
    47.70 M
  5. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    48.50 M
  6. Michelin X Ice Snow
    48.60 M

Dry Handling

Dry handling time in seconds (Lower is better)
  1. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    56.80 s
  2. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    58.10 s
  3. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    58.40 s
  4. Continental VikingContact 8
    58.50 s
  5. Michelin X Ice Snow
    59.00 s
  6. Marshal iZen KW31
    59.00 s

Comfort

Surprisingly, the comfort testing was again incredibly close, but Goodyear and Nokian had the best comfort levels by a small margin. The Continental had the lowest external noise.

Subj. Comfort

Subjective Comfort Score (Higher is better)
  1. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    10.00 Points
  2. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    10.00 Points
  3. Michelin X Ice Snow
    9.75 Points
  4. Continental VikingContact 8
    9.75 Points
  5. Marshal iZen KW31
    9.25 Points

Noise

External noise in dB (Lower is better)
  1. Continental VikingContact 8
    69.10 dB
  2. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    69.30 dB
  3. Michelin X Ice Snow
    69.60 dB
  4. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    70.50 dB
  5. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    71.50 dB
  6. Marshal iZen KW31
    71.80 dB

Value

Finally, Continental had the lowest rolling resistance, and Nokian and Goodyear also performed well. The Michelin had what I would call a moderate rolling resistance, and the Marshal was at the level you'd probably start to notice at the fuel pumps.

Rolling Resistance

Rolling resistance in kg t (Lower is better)
  1. Continental VikingContact 8
    7.29 kg / t
  2. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
    7.48 kg / t
  3. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
    7.59 kg / t
  4. Michelin X Ice Snow
    8.14 kg / t
  5. Continental WinterContact TS 870 Ref
    8.29 kg / t
  6. Marshal iZen KW31
    9.55 kg / t

Results

1st

Continental VikingContact 8

205/55 R16 94T
Continental VikingContact 8
  • EU Label: B/D/69
  • 3PMSF: yes
  • Price: 154.47
Test # Result Best Diff %
Dry Braking 2nd 45.6 M 45.3 M +0.3 M 99.34%
Dry Handling 3rd 58.5 s 58.1 s +0.4 s 99.32%
Subj. Dry Handling 1st 10 Points 100%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Wet Braking 2nd 42.4 M 37.7 M +4.7 M 88.92%
Wet Handling 2nd 93.12 s 90.64 s +2.48 s 97.34%
Subj. Wet Handling 3rd 9.5 Points 10 Points -0.5 Points 95%
Wet Circle 2nd 13.44 s 13.02 s +0.42 s 96.88%
Straight Aqua 4th 56.6 Km/H 60.4 Km/H -3.8 Km/H 93.71%
Curved Aquaplaning 5th 1.51 m/sec2 2.02 m/sec2 -0.51 m/sec2 74.75%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Snow Braking 4th 16.81 M 16.44 M +0.37 M 97.8%
Snow Traction 1st 3 s 100%
Snow Handling 2nd 80.2 s 79.64 s +0.56 s 99.3%
Subj. Snow Handling 1st 10 Points 100%
Snow Slalom 1st 3.39 m/sec2 100%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Ice Braking 3rd 7.31 M 6.97 M +0.34 M 95.35%
Ice Traction 2nd 6.48 s 6.46 s +0.02 s 99.69%
Ice Handling 3rd 54.99 s 54.53 s +0.46 s 99.16%
Subj. Ice Handling 1st 10 Points 100%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Subj. Comfort 3rd 9.75 Points 10 Points -0.25 Points 97.5%
Noise 1st 69.1 dB 100%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Rolling Resistance 1st 7.29 kg / t 100%
Test Winner 2025/26 Best Snow Tyres Continental VikingContact 8
2nd

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3

205/55 R16 94T
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
  • EU Label: B/E/69
  • 3PMSF: yes
  • Price: 108.89
Test # Result Best Diff %
Dry Braking 4th 48.5 M 45.3 M +3.2 M 93.4%
Dry Handling 2nd 58.4 s 58.1 s +0.3 s 99.49%
Subj. Dry Handling 1st 10 Points 100%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Wet Braking 3rd 43.7 M 37.7 M +6 M 86.27%
Wet Handling 3rd 93.51 s 90.64 s +2.87 s 96.93%
Subj. Wet Handling 2nd 9.75 Points 10 Points -0.25 Points 97.5%
Wet Circle 3rd 13.64 s 13.02 s +0.62 s 95.45%
Straight Aqua 1st 60.4 Km/H 100%
Curved Aquaplaning 1st 2.02 m/sec2 100%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Snow Braking 1st 16.44 M 100%
Snow Traction 2nd 3.08 s 3 s +0.08 s 97.4%
Snow Handling 1st 79.64 s 100%
Subj. Snow Handling 1st 10 Points 100%
Snow Slalom 2nd 3.31 m/sec2 3.39 m/sec2 -0.08 m/sec2 97.64%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Ice Braking 2nd 7.29 M 6.97 M +0.32 M 95.61%
Ice Traction 3rd 6.5 s 6.46 s +0.04 s 99.38%
Ice Handling 1st 54.53 s 100%
Subj. Ice Handling 3rd 9.5 Points 10 Points -0.5 Points 95%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Subj. Comfort 1st 10 Points 100%
Noise 2nd 69.3 dB 69.1 dB +0.2 dB 99.71%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Rolling Resistance 3rd 7.59 kg / t 7.29 kg / t +0.3 kg / t 96.05%
Highly Recommended 2025/26 Best Snow Tyres Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
3rd

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5

205/55 R16 94R
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
  • EU Label: B/D/67
  • 3PMSF: yes
  • Price: 149.73
Test # Result Best Diff %
Dry Braking 1st 45.3 M 100%
Dry Handling 1st 58.1 s 100%
Subj. Dry Handling 1st 10 Points 100%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Wet Braking 1st 37.7 M 100%
Wet Handling 1st 90.64 s 100%
Subj. Wet Handling 1st 10 Points 100%
Wet Circle 1st 13.02 s 100%
Straight Aqua 2nd 58.5 Km/H 60.4 Km/H -1.9 Km/H 96.85%
Curved Aquaplaning 4th 1.63 m/sec2 2.02 m/sec2 -0.39 m/sec2 80.69%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Snow Braking 2nd 16.67 M 16.44 M +0.23 M 98.62%
Snow Traction 4th 3.13 s 3 s +0.13 s 95.85%
Snow Handling 3rd 80.64 s 79.64 s +1 s 98.76%
Subj. Snow Handling 1st 10 Points 100%
Snow Slalom 4th 3.25 m/sec2 3.39 m/sec2 -0.14 m/sec2 95.87%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Ice Braking 4th 8.41 M 6.97 M +1.44 M 82.88%
Ice Traction 4th 7.54 s 6.46 s +1.08 s 85.68%
Ice Handling 2nd 54.76 s 54.53 s +0.23 s 99.58%
Subj. Ice Handling 1st 10 Points 100%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Subj. Comfort 1st 10 Points 100%
Noise 4th 71.5 dB 69.1 dB +2.4 dB 96.64%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Rolling Resistance 2nd 7.48 kg / t 7.29 kg / t +0.19 kg / t 97.46%
Highly Recommended 2025/26 Best Snow Tyres Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
4th

Michelin X Ice Snow

205/55 R16 94H
Michelin X Ice Snow
  • EU Label: C/E/69
  • 3PMSF: yes
  • Price: 135.75
Test # Result Best Diff %
Dry Braking 5th 48.6 M 45.3 M +3.3 M 93.21%
Dry Handling 4th 59 s 58.1 s +0.9 s 98.47%
Subj. Dry Handling 5th 9.25 Points 10 Points -0.75 Points 92.5%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Wet Braking 5th 46.2 M 37.7 M +8.5 M 81.6%
Wet Handling 5th 98.01 s 90.64 s +7.37 s 92.48%
Subj. Wet Handling 4th 9 Points 10 Points -1 Points 90%
Wet Circle 5th 14.32 s 13.02 s +1.3 s 90.92%
Straight Aqua 3rd 57.3 Km/H 60.4 Km/H -3.1 Km/H 94.87%
Curved Aquaplaning 3rd 1.69 m/sec2 2.02 m/sec2 -0.33 m/sec2 83.66%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Snow Braking 2nd 16.67 M 16.44 M +0.23 M 98.62%
Snow Traction 3rd 3.12 s 3 s +0.12 s 96.15%
Snow Handling 4th 81.06 s 79.64 s +1.42 s 98.25%
Subj. Snow Handling 4th 9.5 Points 10 Points -0.5 Points 95%
Snow Slalom 3rd 3.27 m/sec2 3.39 m/sec2 -0.12 m/sec2 96.46%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Ice Braking 1st 6.97 M 100%
Ice Traction 1st 6.46 s 100%
Ice Handling 4th 56.59 s 54.53 s +2.06 s 96.36%
Subj. Ice Handling 4th 9 Points 10 Points -1 Points 90%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Subj. Comfort 3rd 9.75 Points 10 Points -0.25 Points 97.5%
Noise 3rd 69.6 dB 69.1 dB +0.5 dB 99.28%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Rolling Resistance 4th 8.14 kg / t 7.29 kg / t +0.85 kg / t 89.56%
Satisfactory 2025/26 Best Snow Tyres Michelin X Ice Snow
5th

Marshal iZen KW31

205/55 R16 91R
Marshal iZen KW31
  • EU Label: D/E/70
  • 3PMSF: yes
  • Price: 115.64
Test # Result Best Diff %
Dry Braking 3rd 47.7 M 45.3 M +2.4 M 94.97%
Dry Handling 4th 59 s 58.1 s +0.9 s 98.47%
Subj. Dry Handling 4th 9.5 Points 10 Points -0.5 Points 95%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Wet Braking 4th 44.4 M 37.7 M +6.7 M 84.91%
Wet Handling 4th 97.2 s 90.64 s +6.56 s 93.25%
Subj. Wet Handling 4th 9 Points 10 Points -1 Points 90%
Wet Circle 4th 14.08 s 13.02 s +1.06 s 92.47%
Straight Aqua 5th 56.2 Km/H 60.4 Km/H -4.2 Km/H 93.05%
Curved Aquaplaning 2nd 1.79 m/sec2 2.02 m/sec2 -0.23 m/sec2 88.61%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Snow Braking 5th 17.11 M 16.44 M +0.67 M 96.08%
Snow Traction 5th 3.18 s 3 s +0.18 s 94.34%
Snow Handling 5th 82.94 s 79.64 s +3.3 s 96.02%
Subj. Snow Handling 5th 8.5 Points 10 Points -1.5 Points 85%
Snow Slalom 5th 3.16 m/sec2 3.39 m/sec2 -0.23 m/sec2 93.22%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Ice Braking 5th 8.59 M 6.97 M +1.62 M 81.14%
Ice Traction 5th 8.2 s 6.46 s +1.74 s 78.78%
Ice Handling 5th 57.31 s 54.53 s +2.78 s 95.15%
Subj. Ice Handling 5th 8.5 Points 10 Points -1.5 Points 85%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Subj. Comfort 5th 9.25 Points 10 Points -0.75 Points 92.5%
Noise 5th 71.8 dB 69.1 dB +2.7 dB 96.24%
Test # Result Best Diff %
Rolling Resistance 5th 9.55 kg / t 7.29 kg / t +2.26 kg / t 76.34%

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