Germany’s Continental says it has significantly expanded its global portfolio of ultra-high-performance (UHP) tyres ie measuring 18 inches and above over the past five years and plans to strengthen this segment further in the future. By the end of 2027, the company will add more than 650 new tyre sizes across all lines, for both original equipment on new cars and the replacement market.
By expanding its portfolio, the tyre manufacturer is responding to growing demand for high-performance tyres designed for larger, heavier and more powerful vehicles, as well as electrified drive systems, while laying the foundation for further profitable growth in this segment.
Edwin Goudswaard, head of Research and Development for Continental’s Tires group sector, said, “With our expanded UHP portfolio, we are responding directly to the increasing demands of modern vehicles. This enables us to offer our customers around the world even more tailored solutions for safety, efficiency and driving dynamics.”
High-performance tires for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles have become increasingly important for Continental and its customers in recent years. Between 2020 and 2025, their share of sales in the global business for passenger-car tyres across all brands rose from 41 to 55%. The proportion is particularly high in the Asia-Pacific region (70%) and the Americas (66%), while in the EMEA region UHP tyres account for 43% of passenger-car tyre sales.
For the Continental brand, the share of UHP tyres in global passenger-car tyre sales increased from around 49% in 2020 to around 62% in 2025. This highlights the growing importance of high-performance tyres for modern vehicles and the strategic relevance of this segment for Continental.
The trend toward ever-larger tyres is closely linked to developments in the vehicle market. Vehicles are becoming not only larger, but also heavier and more powerful. SUVs in particular have been growing in popularity for many years and are now an increasingly common sight on the roads.
Another key driver of rising vehicle weight is electric mobility: the batteries used in electric vehicles add considerably to their overall mass. At the same time, modern drive systems generate levels of torque once associated only with high-performance sports cars.
This, in turn, is placing greater demands on modern tires, which must be able to support heavier loads while continuing to ensure safety, efficiency and driving comfort. Ultra-high-performance tyres in particular combine high grip, short braking distances and precise handling with low rolling resistance and high mileage.
Continental says it develops these tyres primarily for large wheel-and-tire combinations of 18 inches and above, as well as for performance SUVs, premium sedans, sports cars and high-performance electric vehicles.
It is expanding its UHP offering across all major markets and will introduce more than 650 new tire sizes for original equipment and the replacement business by the end of 2027. In addition to the core Continental brand, this includes secondary brands such as Semperit and Uniroyal.
The growing number of tyre sizes also reflects the increasing diversification of the vehicle market. Manufacturers are offering their models in more and more variants worldwide and require tyres that are precisely tailored to different performance, efficiency and comfort requirements.
Ultra-high-performance tyres must meet a wide range of requirements, some of which are conflicting. They must provide high grip on dry and wet roads, short braking distances and precise handling, while at the same time delivering low rolling resistance, high ride comfort and high mileage. The rubber compound plays a central role in achieving this balance, as it largely determines a tyre’s performance profile and must balance multiple characteristics.