Winter is coming! Snow chains

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deguy
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 8:54 pm
Location: Expat in Munich

Post by deguy »

So unsurprisingly things are quite bureaucratic over here, but in the end I went for the following, as steels seemed scarce on the ground:

RC Design RC27 6.5Jx17H2 offset 40 alloys
Dunlop Winter Sport 5 205/50 R17 93H XL M+S
VDO pressure sensors (same as the OEM ones supplied with the car)

The tyre size allows 9mm snow chains to be used.
Road noise is noticeably reduced compared to the supplied summer tyres.

IMG_20171026_173316.jpg

Niro Spirit 2017 HEV in Ocean Blue (German spec similar to First Edition without ADAP)
Previously: Mercedes B-Class 200CDI Autotronic

knea
Posts: 46
Joined: Sun May 21, 2017 6:39 pm
Location: London

Post by knea »

17'' rather than the usual 16 or 18. Out of curiosity, any specific reason?
Kia Niro HEV First Edition, 2017, White Pearl
deguy
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 8:54 pm
Location: Expat in Munich

Post by deguy »

I just think the larger wheels with lower profile tyres look better, and this combination was the largest wheels I could find that would take snow chains. Possibly there might be an 18" rim combination out there, but with the cold weather arriving I could not keep looking for ever.
Niro Spirit 2017 HEV in Ocean Blue (German spec similar to First Edition without ADAP)
Previously: Mercedes B-Class 200CDI Autotronic
niroal
Posts: 183
Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2017 11:22 am
Location: North Kent

Post by niroal »

knea wrote: Mon Oct 30, 2017 9:04 pm 17'' rather than the usual 16 or 18. Out of curiosity, any specific reason?
Kia offer a 17” alloy as an accessory for Niro in uk
Niro 3 PHEV Graphite
niroal
Posts: 183
Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2017 11:22 am
Location: North Kent

Post by niroal »

deguy wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2017 10:14 pm So unsurprisingly things are quite bureaucratic over here, but in the end I went for the following, as steels seemed scarce on the ground:

RC Design RC27 6.5Jx17H2 offset 40 alloys
Dunlop Winter Sport 5 205/50 R17 93H XL M+S
VDO pressure sensors (same as the OEM ones supplied with the car)

The tyre size allows 9mm snow chains to be used.
Road noise is noticeably reduced compared to the supplied summer tyres.

IMG_20171026_173316.jpg
What speedo discrepancy does that give you.
Niro 3 PHEV Graphite
deguy
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 8:54 pm
Location: Expat in Munich

Post by deguy »

To be honest, I have no idea, but most importantly for me I have documentation saying this configuration is approved for use with the Niro.
Niro Spirit 2017 HEV in Ocean Blue (German spec similar to First Edition without ADAP)
Previously: Mercedes B-Class 200CDI Autotronic
niroal
Posts: 183
Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2017 11:22 am
Location: North Kent

Post by niroal »

deguy wrote: Fri Nov 03, 2017 10:37 pm To be honest, I have no idea, but most importantly for me I have documentation saying this configuration is approved for use with the Niro.
Fair enough!!!
Niro 3 PHEV Graphite
Niro-Chris
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 5:19 pm

Post by Niro-Chris »

Thanks for these helpful posts - which I just discovered.
I bought a Niro 'Spirit' in Germany which has 18 inch wheels. The Certificate of Compliance (COC) only lists 18 inch wheels and so my car is only registered ("Fahrzeugschein") in Germany to use 18 inch wheels.
I wanted to use 16 inch wheels to get the better fuel efficiency that all of the other Niro's which have 16 inch wheels get - but I want to stay legal and ... I do not want the speedometer to show an incorrect speed.
So...I have been playing email ping-pong with Kia customer support in Germany trying to get exact information about this.
Originally they wrote to me that I can only use 18 inch wheels (based on the info in my COC). Then they changed their minds and said that they had discovered that in fact it is possible for me to use 16 inch wheels and they were only waiting for written confirmation from Kia in Korea.
So I wrote them a sort of "final" email 10 days ago expressing frustration that they could not give me precise information and asking once more for answers to these questions :

a) is it legal for me to use 16 inch wheels with my Kia Niro Spirit;
b) when will they get the written confirmation from Kia in Korea
c) how does the car know that it is running with 16 inch wheels or 18 inch wheels (is there a setting in the on-board computer that needs to be changed ?)

No response yet.....
My Kia car dealer is also not able to give me persuasive answers to these questions.
Any comments ?

Thanks !

Niro-Chris
Kia Niro Spirit with 18 inch wheels
Niro-Chris
Kia Niro Spirit with 18 inch wheels
deguy
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 8:54 pm
Location: Expat in Munich

Post by deguy »

I think it would be tough for most UK-based people to answer that. If you speak German I can point you to the equivalent and more relevant discussion on the German forums.

Kia Germany sell 16", 17" and 18" rims for the Niro.

a) Yes if you get approved rims with the correct approved tyre size and take note of any other restrictions (due to a quirk you cannot use Ronal rims on the Spirit)
b) How long is a piece of string? I have found my dealer and Kia Germany entirely useless in their customer support across a range of matters.
c) It doesn't know. But the rim size is not the factor, it's the diameter/circumference of the tyre. Plus it is not absolute, but a matter of tolerance.
Niro Spirit 2017 HEV in Ocean Blue (German spec similar to First Edition without ADAP)
Previously: Mercedes B-Class 200CDI Autotronic
Niro-Chris
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 5:19 pm

Post by Niro-Chris »

Many thanks deguy - could you point me at that link to the German Niro forum ?
I have to say that as much as I love the car I am disappointed by the way that my dealer and Kia customer support in Germany seem to be „winging it „ on this (one would have thought) pretty simple question.
Niro-Chris
Kia Niro Spirit with 18 inch wheels
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