A close up of a tyre

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.

Safety, comfort, energy consumption – they’re influenced by your tyres, too

Safety, comfort, energy consumption – they’re influenced by your tyres, too

EU tyre label with information on the tyre, supplier, as well as tyre type identifier, size and class

The EU tyre label gives you an overview of the properties of your tyre

The EU tyre label is mandatory for all new tyres. Find out here how the energy efficiency class can affect your car’s fuel consumption. We’ll also explain what the symbols shown reveal about the properties of your tyre, such as wet grip or ice and snow grip.

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

Illustration of the tyre labelling: tyre width in millimetres
225 – tyre width

The first three digits tell you the width of the tyre in millimetres. In this case, the tyre is 225mm wide.

Illustration of the tyre labelling: height-width ratio
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.

Illustration of the tyre labelling: tyre design type
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.

Illustration of the tyre labelling: load index
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. 

Illustration of the tyre labelling: speed index
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.

Illustration of the tyre labelling: date of manufacture (DOT)
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.

  1. Tread – for an effective grip on the road and for taking up and draining water
  2. Jointless bandage – enables high speeds
  3. Steel cord belt layers – optimise driving stability and rolling resistance
  4. Textile cord insert – maintains the shape of the tyre, even at high interior pressure
  5. Inner liner – renders the tyre airtight
  6. Side walls – protect against lateral damages
  7. Apex – supports driving stability, steering behaviour and comfort response
  8. Steel core – ensures a firm fit to the rim
  9. Tyre bead reinforcement – supports driving stability and precise steering behaviour

Tyre maintenance

Find everything you need to know about maintaining your tyres from how to check the tread depth, tyre pressure and damage to tips on prolonging the life of your tyre.

Next steps

Servicing and repairs

Spare parts and oil

Battery

Next steps

Important information :

^If you are selecting a Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 or ID.7 then prices shown are the MDP (Manufacturer's Direct Price).  This is the price set by Volkswagen which you pay for the vehicle.  Volkswagen ID vehicles are sold by Volkswagen UK, a trading division of Volkswagen Group United Kingdom Limited (please note that you will need to visit an authorised Volkswagen Retailer (acting as agent for Volkswagen UK) to order, purchase and take delivery of your Volkswagen ID vehicle).  The MDP includes delivery to an authorised Volkswagen Retailer (acting as agent for Volkswagen UK), number plates, new vehicle registration fee, the first year's Vehicle Excise Duty and VAT (calculated at 20%).  You can find out more about the Volkswagen model for selling ID vehicles by clicking https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/en/legal/mdp-explained.html.

If you are selecting any other Volkswagen vehicle (excluding the Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.7) then prices listed are Manufacturer’s ‘On the road’ Recommended Retail Price. Actual prices are set by Volkswagen authorised retailers in their sole discretion – always obtain these prices from your chosen Volkswagen Retailer.  Recommended On-The-Road (OTR) retail prices include: delivery charge, number plates, new vehicle registration fee, the first year's Vehicle Excise Duty and VAT (calculated at 20%). 

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information above. Prices are taken from the Volkswagen website - this website contains a large number of products and it is always possible that, despite our best efforts, some of the products listed may be incorrectly priced. Volkswagen may change prices at any time (this includes where there are government changes in regulation and/or legislation). There may be a delay to any price displaying correctly on our materials and it is always possible that, despite our best efforts, some vehicles may be incorrectly priced. Always check prices with your local retailer.

For fuel consumption and CO2 information for vehicles, view values in the configurator.

Please be advised we may not be able to provide valuations for vehicles which are outside certain age or mileage ranges, specialist or customised, or not registered in the UK. The actual sale price is dependent on a number of additional factors, which you can discuss further with your retailer. T&Cs will apply.