FinnFred

No, as Hakka 9 is their brand new version. But the difference shouldn't be so big. They make incremental changes, so probably would have been in the top five. Hakka 8 has won before, but they might have been better than off-the-shelf tires.

Here are the winners of the winter tire test of Tekniikan Maailma (an esteemed magazine, covering everything technical, the largest in the Nordic countries). They conduct a winter tire test every year, and are very thorough. STUDDED TIRES, Top 3: 1. Continental IceContact 2 (8,8) 2. Hankook Winter l*Pike RS+ (8,7) 3. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 (8,4) FRICTION TIRES, Top 3: 1. Continental ContiVikingContact 6 (8,1) 2. Sava Eskimo Ice (7,6) 3. Good Year Ultra Grip Ice 2 (7,5) ja Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 (7,5)

That might be well and fine when Restoring peace throughout the galaxy (referring to "Macdemon"s location, no hard feelings please). The case is however somewhat different in OP's Norway and my Finland. Friction tires, as we call them here, are great in snow. Not so great on ice, and rather mediocre in rain. All in a normal Finnish winter. From November through March. Unfortunately.

It is in the very recent past. They did not send off-the-shelf tires to the tests, so the results where better than they should have. They are nevertheless excellent tires, albeit perhaps not as good as the tests indicated. In light of this, I am keenly awaiting the test of this new Hakka 9, as they are under such scrutiny that they cannot afford to cheat anymore.

My Kodiaq should be coming in December, so I also have to decide about winter tires. As I will have 2WD, I am thinking studded. Here in southern Finland the last few winters have been with little snow, but it can be very icy and slippery. Also therefore studded. My dealer offered me Hakka 8, 17 inch, as you are considering. They are most probably fine. However, after googling opinions, some people said they are extra noisy. That's why I'm considering Contintental IceContact 2. Both tires are the cream of the crop, but Conti seem to have somewhat more favorable reviews, especially regarding noise. Nokian has a new Hakka 9, a test of which will be out soon. So I will wait for that.

Thanks for the reply! I will have a SIM card in the car, that won't be a problem. Good to know that it works. I'm imagining being in an airport lounge waiting for my flight home, and setting the car to be warm for me when I arrive

Hi! Does anyone have a MY18 with factory installed auxiliary heating ? I remember reading that it now should be controllable by APP, if the car is connected to Internet. If someone has it, it would be interesting to know if it works well. Looking forward to heating the car in advance during winter, and ventilating it in advance during summer

It might be that it is designed for the 5-seater. Therefore the fit isn't perfect in the 7-seater.

Remember this is not only DSG vs. manual, but also 5-seater vs. 7-seater. 5-seater manual ok to tow with, 7-seater manual not.

I think this color is also called Mato Brown, correct me if I'm wrong.

@erniem About the folding passenger seat. In Finland we get to choose from four trim levels; Active, Ambition, Style and Exclusive. The flat folding passenger seat is an optional extra ONLY on Ambition. Style and Exclusive include electric front seats, which effectively removes the possibility of having a folding passenger seat. This is a bit annoying. I wish it was possible to have only the driver's seat electric, as it is in Germany, if I remember correctly.

Hi, wanted to comment on a post, so I registered as a member. FinnFred