Continental SportContact 7 vs Continental PremiumContact 6: The Continental SportContact 7 and Continental PremiumContact 6 are two popular tire models produced by Continental, a renowned manufacturer of automotive products. While both models have garnered high praise from experts and consumers alike, they each offer distinct features and benefits for drivers. The Continental SportContact 7 was introduced in 2021 as the successor to the SportContact 6 and is specifically designed for high-performance sports cars, offering excellent handling and traction on both wet and dry roads. On the other hand, the Continental PremiumContact 6 was launched in 2017 and is aimed at high-end luxury vehicles and sport sedans, providing a comfortable and quiet ride with superior handling and braking performance on both dry and wet roads.
Both tire models have received widespread acclaim from industry experts, with the Continental SportContact 7 earning the top spot in the 2023 Sport Auto UHP Tire Test and the Continental PremiumContact 6 receiving numerous accolades, such as being named “Best Summer Tire 2019” by Auto Express and “Best High-Performance Tire” by Auto Zeitung. Despite the announcement of the PremiumContact 7 as the successor to the PremiumContact 6, we have conducted an internal Continental comparison to highlight the segmentation gaps between these two tires. So, without further ado, let’s compare both tires head-to-head to determine the winner.
Table of Contents
Results
The results of the 2023 Best Electric Vehicle Tires versus UHP Tires test, which evaluated ten tires, were used to compare the Continental SportContact 7 and Continental PremiumContact 6 based on relevant performance categories. The following graph depicts the comparison, with the Continental SportContact 7 serving as the reference point, indicated by the 100% mark.
The tire size of interest is 255/45 R20 which is a common tire size for Audi Q5 and the Mercedes-Benz Glc 300. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle is a Kia EV6 which the first dedicated electric vehicle by Kia.
Wet
When it comes to safety, achieving superior wet performance is of paramount concern. In objective wet braking tests, the SportContact 7 outperformed the PremiumContact 6 by 0.4 meters when braking from 80 km/h to a complete stop. Similarly, in the wet handling category, the SportContact 7 achieved a higher average lap speed, albeit with a slight advantage of only 0.4 km/h.
This trend was also observed in aquaplaning tests, where the PremiumContact 6 exhibited a slip speed deficit of 1.5 km/h in straight aquaplaning and a deficit of -0.8 m/sec2 in lateral aquaplaning, surprising given that it has a higher tread depth of 6.3mm compared to the SportContact 7’s 5.9mm tread depth. In summary, the SportContact 7 demonstrated clear superiority in wet performance by outperforming the PremiumContact 6 in all categories.
PremiumContact 6 :
- -1.6% in wet braking
- -0.8% in wet handling (average lap speed)
- -1.6% in wet circle
- -1.8% in straight aquaplaning
- -9.1% in curved aquaplaning
Dry
In terms of dry performance, safety is usually not a concern as the braking distance is typically longer than in wet conditions. However, consistent performance is still important for daily usage. We were surprised to find that the PremiumContact 6 was able to achieve the same dry braking distance as the SportContact 7. This unexpected result demonstrates the impressive dry braking performance of the PremiumContact 6, despite it being placed one segment level below the SportContact 7. The SportContact 7 did achieve a higher average lap speed, with a slight advantage of only 1.9 km/h. Additionally, the SportContact 7 proved to be the leader in dry handling, outpacing the competition and becoming the “dry handling king” of this test.
PremiumContact 6 :
- 0% in dry braking
- -2.1% in dry handling (average lap speed)
Noise
The PremiumContact 6 is noticeably quieter than the SportContact 7, as it is 0.9 dB quieter. Both tires ranked in the mid pack when it came to exterior noise.
PremiumContact 6 :
- +1.2% in exterior noise (-0.9 dB)
Rolling Resistance
Rolling resistance is not usually a top priority for engineers when it comes to high performance tires, as their focus is mainly on wet and dry performance. However, with the increasing relevance of sustainability, tire manufacturers are paying more attention to rolling resistance. In this case, the SportContact 7 has a C label rating for rolling resistance, while the PremiumContact 6 has a B label rating. One would expect the PremiumContact 6 to perform better in this category, but in fact, it has a higher rolling resistance value of 7.4 N/kN compared to the SportContact 7’s value of 7.2 N/kN. Despite this, both tires have the same energy consumption level of 15 KW/100 km, which is expected given the close rolling resistance values.
PremiumContact 6 :
- -2.7% in rolling resistance
- 0% in energy consumption
Price
Even though both tires are branded Continental and serve two clearly different segments, with SportContact 7 serving the ultra ultra high performance (UUHP) segment while PremiumContact 6 serves the ultra high performance (UHP) segment, we were surprised to find that for a 255/45 R20 size, they are priced almost the same. SportContact 7 was priced only 2 dollars more than PremiumContact 6, at €197.
Tire size: 255/45 R20
PremiumContact 6 : €195
SportContact 7: €197
Difference: -1% more cheaper for PremiumContact 6
Summary
Overall, both tires have demonstrated distinct differences in their intended usage. The SportContact 7 demonstrated clear superiority in wet and dry handling performance, while the PremiumContact 6 surprised us with the same level of dry braking performance and better exterior noise results. Since there is a clear segmentation differentiation between both products, we cannot recommend a clear winner in this comparison. Enjoy!