Continental ComfortContact CC5 is a tyre most Malaysians are familiar with and one we can all take pride in. Locally produced at Continental Tyres Malaysia (CTM) plant in Alor Star, the CC5 is the tyre of choice by various manufacturers as an OEM fitment on their vehicles such as the Toyota Vios, Nissan Almera and Perodua Myvi, just to name a few.
Besides offering high levels of comfort and quality, the locally made tyres also contribute to a vehicle’s EEV status (requires a certain percentage of local content when CKD). After serving many Malaysians reliably for many years, CTM has finally introduced the replacement for the CC5, the Continental ComfortContact CC6.
Alongside the CC6, CTM also unveiled a brand new model in their line-up, the Continental UltraContact UC6 that slots itself between the comfort oriented ComfortContact series and the performance minded MaxContact series.The CC6 and UC6 are part of the brand’s all-new Generation 6 products that replaces models that bear the number ‘5’.
In line with Continental’s philosophy of “In the Market for the Market”, the UC6 and CC6 went through vigorous localisation R&D to suit not only the Malaysian market but also the Asia-Pacific market. CTM played a major role in the process as they are one of three Continental manufacturing plants in the Asia-Pacific region. Other two factories are located in India and China.
CONTINENTAL ULTRACONTACT 6
Previously with the Generation 5 tyres, the ContiComfortContact series only caters to wheel sizes ranging from 13 to 16 inch. Larger wheel sizes would have to opt for the sportier ContiMaxContact series. With the UC6, consumers will now have the option for a comfort oriented tyres for 16 to 18-inch wheel sizes.
Using the CC5 as a foundation, the UC6 is engineered with “all-rounded performance and safety” in mind. It features what the company calls ADD: Aqua channels, Diamond edge design and Diamond blend compound. The results are the UC6 that not only excels in the dry but also the wet, perfect for our unpredictable climate.
At first glance, the UC6 may come across as a regular tyre but plenty of innovation are etched into the tyres. The holes along the centre of the tyres are the Aqua channels that direct water from the contact patch to the tyre groove, giving the tyres enhanced water evacuation ability. At the side of the UC6, the treads are designed like a Diamond edge to reduce rubber distortion during hard braking and provide more contact patch. Lastly, the UC6 is made up of what CTM calls it, Diamond blend compound – a unique combination of short grip-polymers that provides higher grip levels and long mileage-polymers that ensures high mileage performance. As with the CC5, the UC6 features a new and improved Noise Breaker 2.0 located along the tyre grooves that breaks down noise frequency when travelling.
On our journey down to Melaka, the road noise on the Nissan Teana 2.5XV was almost inaudible even at preposterous speeds. Around bends, the 215/55 R17 tyres on the Teana offered adequate dry grip while maintaining high levels of comfort to passengers. If you’re the kind to be chauffeured in comfort, the UC6 would be perfect for your executive sedan.
To test the tyres performance, CTM provided us with the facelifted Volkswagen Jetta equipped with 225/45 R17 UC6 to go around a short slalom course. To my surprise, pushing the comfort oriented tyres to its limits proved to be quite a challenge. The UC6 kept the Jetta well planted and adheres to steering inputs accurately. Moving over to the wetbraking test from 60km/h, the UC6 performed exceptionally, stopping the car well within one metre in the dry braking test.
CONTINENTAL COMFORTCONTACT 6
The CC6 will serve as the direct replacement of the CC5. Based on the CC5, engineers took the key highlights of the previous generation tyres and improve upon them. The results are better mileage, lower road noise and more comfortable ride. Here’s HOW they did it – Harmonic comfort chamber, ‘O’ dB-eater and Whisper compound.
While the tyre pattern may be a novelty for many, CTM assures that the designs are all functional in relation to HOW. Starting from the little pockets along the tyre pattern, these are Harmonic comfort chambers that trap unpleasant frequencies, effectively reducing rolling noise. The ‘O’ dB-eater are the cross tips along the tyre groove which breaks down high frequency sound waves, reducing the sound-level measured in decibels (dB). Lastly, the CC6 is structured with Whisper compounds which is a strong yet flexible compound that shapes itself on a microscopic level according to the roughness of the road to provide additional dampening and a smoother ride. As compared to the CC5, the CC6 also boasts better longevity thanks to additional sulphur network locking the polymers in place.
While all these may sound like a marketing gimmick, truth to be told, the CC6 were exceptionally quiet while cruising on the highway in the 2.0-litre Nissan Teana running on 215/60 R16 profile tyres. During the “noise test” where we pitched the CC6 against its predecessor on two identical Volkswagen Vento wrapped in 185/60 R15 profile tyres, the CC6 recorded consistently 1 dB lower noise levels compared to the CC5. Subjectively, when the two Ventos drove past, the CC6 equipped Vento appeared to have a lower tyre roar. Again, noise levels are each to their own. Performance wise, the CC6 offered higher levels of dry grip and plusher ride as compared to the CC5.
After sampling the two tyres back to back, it is evident that main highlights of the CC6 and UC6 are quietness and comfort with decent performance. Best of all, CTM has upgraded their warranty policy to a five-year manufacturer warranty against manufacturing defects from the date of purchase, previously from manufactured date. According to CTM, CC6 are available for purchase at Continentals dealer network while the UC6 will be available at a later date. If comfort is not your top priority and would prefer something a little sportier, stay tuned for CTM’s unveiling of the MaxContact 6 in the first half of next year!
AVAILABLE SIZES CC6
| Section | Rim Size (inch) | Load Index | Speed Rating |
| 175/70 | 13 | 82 | H |
| 185/70 | 14 | 88 | H |
| 175/65 | 14 | 82 | H |
| 165/60 | 14 | 75 | T |
| 185/65 | 14 | 86 | H |
| 165/55 | 14 | 72 | H |
| 185/60 | 14 | 82 | H |
| 175/65 | 15 | 84 | H |
| 185/65 | 15 | 88 | H |
| 195/65 | 15 | 91 | V |
| 185/60 | 15 | 84 | H |
| 205/65 | 15 | 94 | V |
| 195/60 | 15 | 88 | V |
| 215/65 | 15 | 96 | H |
| 185/55 | 15 | 82 | V |
| 205/60 | 15 | 91 | V |
| 195/55 | 15 | 85 | V |
| 195/50 | 15 | 82 | V |
| 215/65 | 16 | 98 | V |
| 185/55 | 16 | 83 | V |
| 215/60 | 16 | 95 | V |
| 205/55 | 16 | 91 | V |
AVAILABLE SIZES UC6
| Section | Rim Size (inch) | Load Index | Speed Rating |
| 205/65 | 16 | 95 | H |
| 205/60 | 16 | 92 | V |
| 215/60 | 16 | 95 | V |
| 225/60 | 16 | 98 | V |
| 235/60 | 16 | 100 | V |
| 195/55 | 15 | 85 | V |
| 185/55 | 16 | 83 | V |
| 195/55 | 16 | 87 | V |
| 205/55 | 16 | 91 | V |
| 215/55 | 16 | 93 | V |
| 225/55 | 16 | 95 | W |
| 215/55 | 17 | 94 | W |
| 225/55 | 17 | 97 | W |
| 235/55 | 17 | 99 | W |
| 215/55 | 18 | 99 | W |
| 235/55 | 18 | 104 | W |
| 175/50 | 15 | 75 | H |
| 195/50 | 16 | 88 | V |
| 205/50 | 16 | 87 | V |
| 225/50 | 16 | 92 | W |
| 205/50 | 17 | 93 | W |
| 215/50 | 17 | 91 | W |
| 225/50 | 17 | 98 | W |
| 225/50 | 18 | 95 | W |
| 235/50 | 18 | 101 | W |
| 245/50 | 18 | 100 | Y |
| 215/45 | 17 | 91 | W |
| 225/45 | 17 | 94 | W |
| 225/45 | 18 | 95 | W |
IMAGE GALLERY
