89%
- Kia Motors Kia EV6 AWD
- 235/55 R19
- 3,000 miles
Good tyre. Traction is very good on snowy surfaces and fairly good on ice. I don't feel any difference between these and former Continental Viking Contact 7.
Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV
Premium Touring Winter
Winter rated
The Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV is a mid-range SUV winter tyre with strong aquaplaning resistance and good wet braking in its single test. Winter grip and behaviour near the limit were less convincing, with a loose rear end and difficult control under pressure.
The Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV was strongest against standing water in the 2022 Vi Bilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test. In that eight-tyre studless field it led straight aquaplaning at 70.6km/h and placed third for wet braking at 38.29m. The testers also praised steering feel for small asphalt inputs, but these narrower positives did not prevent seventh place overall. This description rests on that one independent comparison.
Handling under pressure was the main reservation. The testers described loose rear-end behaviour on wet and dry roads and sudden grip loss on snow and ice, despite a favourable subjective dry-handling score. Wet handling was seventh and dry braking last. Snow traction was also last, with snow braking and handling seventh; ice braking and handling were seventh too. Its 15.61m ice stop was 21.1% longer than best. Those results make the wet-stopping and aquaplaning strengths clearer than claims of predictable handling or strong grip across winter surfaces.
The quick answer
Strengths & weaknesses
Value, Ice
Wet, Dry
Relative to its rivals across every test we hold
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tyre - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated January 2026.
- 2owner reviews
- 28,000miles driven
- 1professional tests
- 21sizes available
All Tests
View Test Results
1
Tests
0
Test Wins
7th
Average
7th
Best
7th
Worst
The latest test
2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test P7 of 8
WS51 is the SUV version of Kumho's latest friction tire Wi51. It's the stiffest tire here, with high priority on asphalt rounds, not winter grip. On ice it performs far from the best. The WS51 is difficult to master under pressure on both snow and ice, where all grip suddenly disappears at once and without warning. It does a lot better against aquaplaning where Kumho is the best of the bunch. The braking distance on wet asphalt is also good, and the steering feel for small steering movements as well. Unfortunately, the WS51 has problems with a loose rear-end both wet and dry roads with a skidding behavior in the evasive maneuvers and especially in wet corners. Nor is the noise level impressive. Difficult to control on the limit and poor winter grip result in a low score.
| Year | Test | Result | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre TestVi Bilagare · 235/55 R18 | P7 / 8 |
Dimensions & Label Scores
View AllSize Range21 sizes available
205-265Width50-70Profile15-19Rim100-116 TLoad/
EU LabelAcross 21 sizes - the grade depends on the size you buy.
Fuel
A
B
C81%
D19%
E
Wet
A
B
C
D43%
E57%
Noise
72dB B
3PMSF on every size
Ice grip
Frequently Asked Questions
How good is the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV in the wet?
Across the 1 wet-braking test it has featured in, the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV stops 1.2% shorter than premium rivals, 1.7% shorter than mid-range rivals and 2.7% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews wet score of 7/100, and owners rate it 9.5/10 in the wet from 2 reviews.
How good is the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV in the dry?
Across the 1 dry-braking test it has featured in, the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV stops 3.4% longer than premium rivals, 2.8% longer than mid-range rivals and 1.9% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews dry score of 4/100, and owners rate it 8.5/10 in the dry from 2 reviews.
How good is the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV in the snow?
Across the 1 snow-braking test it has featured in, the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV stops 1.1% longer than premium rivals, 3.7% longer than mid-range rivals and 3.6% longer than budget rivals. Across the 1 snow-traction test, it is 7.5% worse than premium rivals, 9.4% worse than mid-range rivals and 7.1% worse than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews snow score of 71/100, and owners rate it 10/10 in the snow from 2 reviews.
How good is the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV on ice?
Across the 1 ice-braking test it has featured in, the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV stops 13% longer than premium rivals, 17% longer than mid-range rivals and 6.6% shorter than budget rivals. Across the 1 ice-traction test, it is 5.3% worse than premium rivals, 10.7% worse than mid-range rivals and 10.2% better than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews ice score of 91/100, and owners rate it 9/10 on ice from 2 reviews.
How fuel efficient is the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV?
Across the 1 test measuring rolling resistance, the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV's rolling resistance is 0.8% lower than premium rivals, 1.3% lower than mid-range rivals and 0.7% lower than budget rivals.
More questions about the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV (2)
What is the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV's EU tyre label rating?
Across its range, the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV most commonly carries EU label ratings of C for fuel efficiency, E for wet grip and 72 dB for noise.
What sizes does the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV come in?
The Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV is available in 21 sizes, ranging from 205-265/50-70 R15-19.
Owner Questions
Ask a questionQuestions and Answers for the Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV
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Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV Owner Reviews
Review this tyreOwner ratings averaged from 2 ratings
- Owner score 91%
- Wear 100%
- Snow Grip 100%
- Wet Grip 95%
- Ice Grip 90%
- Dry Grip 85%
- Handling 85%
- Comfort 85%
- Road Feedback 80%
All 2 Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV reviews
Score spread across 2 written reviews
91%
- Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 2.0 BiTDi 240HP
- 235/55 R18
- 25,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Average
Very good tires at temperature below +8c.
Good handling in the snow and slush.
Very resistant for wear.
Good handling in the snow and slush.
Very resistant for wear.
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