Continental VikingContact 8 vs Pirelli Ice Friction — this is the studless winter showdown we’ve been waiting for. Continental VikingContact 8 comes in as the benchmark with its proven ice/snow traction and ultra-soft compound tuning, but Pirelli just dropped the all-new Ice Friction in 2025, targeting exactly this Nordic-style segment. One is the established reference, the other is the hungry challenger with fresh tech. Let’s see if the newcomer can actually unseat the king of friction winter tires.
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Results: Continental VikingContact 8 vs Pirelli Ice Friction
Results below were taken from 2025 Vi Bilägare Studless Tire Test with a total of 8 studless tires tested. The graph below shows the comparison between Continental VikingContact 8 vs Pirelli Ice Friction based on the relevant performance category. The Continental VikingContact 8 was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark.
Note that for subjective ratings, 1 point is equivalent to 5%. So if tire A has a 4 point rating & tire B has a 3 point rating, tire A is better than tire B by 5%. The tire size of interest is a 235/60 R18 which is a common tire size for Honda CR-V and Kia Sorento. The testing vehicle is a Volvo XC60.
Ice
On ice braking, Continental VikingContact 8 stops in 11.76 m while Pirelli Ice Friction needs 11.87 m, so the Pirelli is 0.11 m longer, about 1% behind. In ice traction, Continental accelerates in 5.24 s while Pirelli needs 5.44 s, so the Pirelli is 0.20 s slower, roughly 4% down. In ice handling, Continental laps in 56.9 s versus Pirelli’s 59.2 s, so the Pirelli is 2.3 s slower, again about 4% off.
In summary across these winter grip metrics, VikingContact 8 is consistently a step ahead.
Pirelli Ice Friction :
- -1% in ice braking
- -4% in ice traction
- -4% in ice handling
Snow
On snow braking, Pirelli Ice Friction stops in 12.01 m while Continental VikingContact 8 needs 12.17 m, so the Pirelli is 0.16 m shorter, about 1% better. Snow traction is identical at 1.92 s for both, so no advantage. In snow handling, Continental laps in 69.2 s and Pirelli in 69.5 s, so the Pirelli is 0.3 s slower, effectively 0% difference. Overall Pirelli edges it slightly on pure snow braking, but overall they trade blows and sit in the same snow performance window.
Pirelli Ice Friction :
- +1% in snow braking
- ~0% in snow traction
- ~0% in snow handling
Wet
In wet braking, Pirelli Ice Friction stops in 48.85 m while Continental VikingContact 8 needs 50.3 m, so the Pirelli is 1.45 m shorter, about 3% better. In wet handling, Pirelli laps in 62.0 s versus Continental’s 62.9 s, so the Pirelli is 0.9 s quicker, around 1% ahead. Overall in the wet, the new Pirelli Ice Friction has a small but clear edge over the VikingContact 8.
Pirelli Ice Friction :
- +3% in wet braking
- +1% in wet handling (lap time)
Dry
In dry braking, Pirelli Ice Friction stops in 43.63 m while Continental VikingContact 8 needs 44.41 m, so the Pirelli is 0.78 m shorter, about 2% better. On subjective dry handling, Pirelli scores 5 points to Continental’s 4, so the Pirelli is 1 point ahead, roughly 5% better in feel and response. On dry, the Pirelli Ice Friction is the sharper, shorter-stopping tire.
Pirelli Ice Friction :
- +2% in dry braking
- +5% in dry handling (subjective)
Noise
Continental VikingContact 8 measures 69.1 dB while Pirelli Ice Friction is at 70.3 dB, so the Pirelli is 1.2 dB louder, about 2% higher in noise.
Pirelli Ice Friction :
- -2% in exterior noise (+1.2 dB)
Fuel Consumption
Pirelli Ice Friction uses 6.4 l/100 km while Continental VikingContact 8 needs 6.5 l/100 km, so the Pirelli consumes 0.1 l/100 km less, about 2% better.
Pirelli Ice Friction :
- +2% in full consumption
Price
For 235/60R18, Continental VikingContact 8 costs €268 and Pirelli Ice Friction costs €216, so the Pirelli is €52 cheaper, which is 24% lower.
Tire size: 235/60R18
- VikingContact 8 : € 268
- Pirelli Ice Friction : € 216
Difference: -24% more cheaper for Pirelli Ice Friction
Conclusion
From a tire engineer’s view, Continental VikingContact 8 is clearly the stronger ice tire — shorter traction and handling times show its compound and siping are still the reference there. But you pay for that: in 235/60R18 it’s 24% more expensive, and the new 2025 Pirelli Ice Friction hits back with better wet and dry braking plus slightly lower fuel use. So it’s ice dominance vs. all-round value — and that’s the real trade-off.
Dr Edwin Pang