Nine Things about the Continental Viking Contact 7

For those who feel embattled by their annual winter driving conditions, the Viking Contact 7 probably sounds like just the type of rugged and tough winter tire you’d want on your side. And you’d be right.

Continental’s Viking Contact 7 is engineered for some of the harshest winter road conditions on the planet, and that means it’s very likely to help you conquer your winter too. (Sort of like having Ragnar or Uhtred by your side, if you know your Vikings.)

Here are 9 things we think you should know about this tire:

1. Fits a wide range of vehicles

Despite its extreme origins and imposing name, the Viking Contact 7 is actually engineered to fit a wide range of common daily driven vehicles – coupes, sedans, and minivans.

Available in a surplus of sizes (82) ranging from 15" to 20" in diameter, the Viking Contact 7 is a likely fit to your Original Equipment (OE) wheels, making seasonal tire swaps a cinch. (And sparing you the expense of a second set of wheels to fit winter tires.)

2. Engineered for tough Scandinavian winters

Tires don’t often make their way to both European and American markets. Manufacturers and brands tailor their product offerings to each respective audience.

But in the case of the Viking Contact 7, American buyers will benefit from testing and engineering that was aimed at the Scandinavian driving audience. That means the Viking Contact 7 was designed to persevere through subzero temperatures and some of the most treacherous winter road conditions on the planet.

If the Viking Contact 7 keeps vehicles glued to Arctic Circle roads, then it’s sure to be a match for your locale’s wintry road conditions too.

“With the new Viking Contact 7, Continental presents a new all-round winter tire for Scandinavian weather and road conditions. Thanks to its soft-compound tread, this newly developed tire can deliver strong grip on snow-covered and icy roads even in the extremely low temperatures that prevail in the far north…this all-rounder for Scandinavia outperforms its predecessor by as much as seven percent.” –  Continental-Tires.com

3. The Viking Contact 7 is a dedicated winter tire

The specialized construction and performance mean the Viking Contact 7 is designed to be used in near-freezing conditions and below. It’s not intended as a year-round, four-season tire.

4. Falls in the “Studless Ice & Snow” winter tire category

Unlike Winter Tires that are “studdable,” the Viking Contact 7 is a “Studless Ice & Snow” tire. It employs a winter-focused, state-of-the-art soft tire compound that stays pliable in frigid temps, directional tread, various sipes, tread grooves that are designed to hold snow to create snow-on-snow traction, and more.

The Viking Contact 7 incorporates Continental’s latest winter tire technology to deliver stud-rivaling winter traction.

(Some states don’t allow the use of tire studs.)

5. The Viking Contact 7 doesn’t sacrifice on comfort and quietness

Snow/winter tires of a bygone era were relatively noisy, especially at higher speeds.

These days, you don’t have to crank the stereo or choose between the highway and a Bluetooth conversation. The Viking Contact 7 incorporates “ContiSilent Technology,” and continues the modern trend of improving winter tire comfort. The Viking Contact 7 nearly achieved the lowest sound level criteria according to EU tire testing.

(Lowest noise level range is 67 to 71 dB. The Viking Contact 7 registered 72dB.)

6. A tread design to manage all of winter’s variable road conditions

Experienced winter drivers know road conditions rarely resemble the pure winter imagery of a Robert Frost poem.

In reality, winter roads are snowy one moment, slushy the next, with pooling water that can freeze over, and so on. The Viking Contact 7’s soft tread compound and tread design attributes are designed to manage all of the above conditions, with no traction deficiencies in any winter road conditions. (To include cold, dry winter roads – the Viking Contact 7’s pliable compound facilitates road surface interactivity and superior traction as compared to all-season tires on dry roads, too.)

“A connected system of tread grooves makes for rapid displacement of slush and water from the contact patch. When driving over snow and ice, the sipes in the tread blocks interlock effectively with the road surface.” – Continental-Tires.com

7. Select sizes & specs feature Continental run flat tire technology

Most Viking Contact 7 sizes are conventional, not run flat tires. However, some sizes and specs feature run flat “ContiSeal Technology” for even greater wintertime mobility security. (For more on run flat tires, see What are run flat tires and how do they work?)

8. Comes with Continental’s Total Confidence Plan

Your vehicle’s Viking Contact 7 isn’t a run flat? No worries. In the unlikely event of a flat or other tire failure, Continental won’t leave you stranded.

Complimentary 3-year roadside assistance is one of the many benefits of the Continental Total Confidence plan.

9. The Viking Contact 7 qualifies for fast & free delivery

Pick up the Viking Contact 7 today, and we’ll deliver free to your doorstep, or a preferred installer – often the next day.

Have any questions about the Continental Viking Contact 7, or want to discuss additional Winter Tire options for your vehicle? Give us a shout at 866-961-8668.