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Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616

Premium Touring Winter Winter rated

The Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 is a Nordic friction winter tire with low rolling resistance, generally low noise and some good snow feedback. Ice grip and asphalt performance vary between tests and often trail the best in its class.

The quick answer

Owners say 84% from 5 owner reviews 100% would buy again Read the reviews
Tests say 5th average finish across 4 independent tests Latest: P5 of 8 · 2024 See every test
Strengths & weaknesses Comfort, Value Dry, Ice Relative to its rivals across every test we hold

Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated March 2026.

  • 5owner reviews
  • 37,500miles driven
  • 4professional tests
  • 50sizes available
Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 1 photos

Tire Reviews Score

Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616

5.7/10

Better than 28% of Nordic winter tires

  • High Confidence
  • 3 tests
  • 5 owner reviews
Scores of the 44 Nordic winter tires we have tested

How this score is built

Better than Weight
Independent tests3 tests · 3 publications · 2020-2024 20% 87%
Owner reviews5 owner reviews · rated 84% 82% 13%
Combined 28% 5.7

A fixed curve turns the combined figure into the 0 to 10 score, so roughly the top 10% of a group score 9 or more.

Category by category

How it compares with other Nordic winter tires in each area, and how much each area counts. 50 is the middle of the group.

Category Better than Weight Tests
SnowBraking, traction and handling on snow 49% 31% 3
IceBraking, traction and handling on ice 16% 30% 3
WetBraking, handling and aquaplaning in the wet 42% 18% 3
DryBraking and handling on dry roads 35% 9% 3
ValueWear, efficiency and cost 58% 7% 1
ComfortNoise and ride comfort 64% 5% 3

Weights are shares of the test result. Owner reviews are blended in afterwards. Faded bars rest on one or two tests.

By discipline

The same results grouped by what the tire was doing. They are not counted a second time.

HandlingEvery handling test, on any surface 33% 3
TractionEvery traction test, on any surface 21% 3
BrakingEvery braking test, on any surface 17% 3

Confidence

  1. Limited
  2. Medium
  3. High

Its own test results decide 92% of the test figure. The other 8% is the average for its group, and it shrinks as more tests arrive.

High needs at least 3 tests, with its own results deciding 90% or more. Medium needs 2 tests and 70%. Anything less is Limited: expect the number to move as tests arrive.

The tests behind it

Only measured results count. A test that published its placings alone is listed, but not scored.

  1. 2024 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tire Test Vi Bilagare · 225/45 R17 P5 / 8
  2. 2021 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tire Test Teknikens Varld · 205/55 R16 · Nordic Friction Winter Tires P5 / 6
  3. 2020 2020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tire Test Consumer Reports · 215/60 R16 P3 / 17 Placing only
  4. 2020 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tire Test Test World · 205/55 R16 · Nordic Friction Winter Tires P6 / 12
All Tests
View Test Results

Tested 4 times by independent publications, the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 averages a finish of 5th.

4 Tests
0 Test Wins
5th Average
3rd Best
6th Worst
Finishing position in each test1stLast20202024

Finishing position in each test

The latest test

2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tire Test P5 of 8

The Hankook Winter i*cept IZ2 W616, launched in 2016, showed its age with a fifth-place finish. While offering good straight-line stability on tarmac and low noise levels, it struggled to balance winter and tarmac performance. Ice grip was notably behind premium competitors in both braking and cornering, and while dry road steering feel was good, overall grip levels couldn't match the best performers.

Strong: Noise Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3

YearTestResultAward
20242024 Nordic Friction Winter Tire TestVi Bilagare · 225/45 R17P5 / 8
20212021 Studless and Studded Winter Tire TestTeknikens Varld · 205/55 R16P5 / 6Nordic Friction Winter Tires
20202020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tire TestConsumer Reports · 215/60 R16P3 / 17
20202020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tire TestTest World · 205/55 R16P6 / 12Nordic Friction Winter Tires

On the full record: Record by disciplineHead-to-head recordEvery published verdict

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Dimensions & Label Scores
View All

Size Range50 sizes available

155-255Width35-70Profile13-19Rim75-104 TLoad/Speed Index2021First On Market

EU LabelAcross 50 sizes - the grade depends on the size you buy.

Noise

71-73dB

3PMSF on every size

Ice grip

Popular sizes175/65 R14235/40 R18225/45 R18195/60 R15
Frequently Asked Questions
How good is the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 in the wet?
Across the 3 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 stops 4.8% longer than premium rivals, 0.8% shorter than mid-range rivals and 4% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews wet score of 42/100, and owners rate it 7.4/10 in the wet from 5 reviews.
How good is the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 in the dry?
Across the 3 dry-braking tests it has featured in, the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 stops 2.2% longer than premium rivals, 0.6% longer than mid-range rivals and 1.4% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews dry score of 35/100, and owners rate it 8.8/10 in the dry from 5 reviews.
How good is the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 in the snow?
Across the 3 snow-braking tests it has featured in, the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 stops 0.9% longer than premium rivals, 1.1% longer than mid-range rivals and 1.8% shorter than budget rivals. Across the 3 snow-traction tests, it is 1.5% worse than premium rivals, 0.3% worse than mid-range rivals and 3% better than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews snow score of 49/100, and owners rate it 9.6/10 in the snow from 5 reviews.
How good is the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 on ice?
Across the 3 ice-braking tests it has featured in, the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 stops 14.8% longer than premium rivals, 17.4% longer than mid-range rivals and 3.8% shorter than budget rivals. Across the 3 ice-traction tests, it is 25.9% worse than premium rivals, 22.2% worse than mid-range rivals and 2.3% worse than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews ice score of 16/100, and owners rate it 7.2/10 on ice from 5 reviews.
What is the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616's EU tire label rating?
Across its range, the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 most commonly carries EU label ratings of C for fuel efficiency, E for wet grip and 72 dB for noise.
More questions about the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 (1)
What sizes does the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 come in?
The Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 is available in 50 sizes, ranging from 155-255/35-70 R13-19.
Owner Questions
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Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 Owner Reviews

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What owners say

Across 5 owner ratings the Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 averages 84%. Owners rate Snow Grip highest at 9.6 out of 10 and Ice Grip lowest at 7.2. 1 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles.

Owner ratings averaged from 5 ratings

  • Owner score 84%
  • Snow Grip 96%
  • Comfort 92%
  • Dry Grip 88%
  • Road Feedback 86%
  • Handling 82%
  • Wear 78%
  • Wet Grip 74%
  • Ice Grip 72%

All 3 Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616 reviews

Score spread across 3 written reviews
88%
Arutiun
Initial Impressions
The way it ploughs through the snow is beyond words.
Soft, comfortable, with good feedback.
On the downside, if you live in a region where snowfall is low, you won't appreciate the driving pleasure. They wear out quickly in dry weather.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 10
  • Wet Grip 9
  • Road Feedback 9
  • Handling 9
  • Wear 7
  • Comfort 9
  • Buy again 9
  • Snow Grip 10
  • Ice Grip 7
Helpful 61
86%
Member
  • BMW 435d
  • 225/45 R18
  • 1,000 miles
  • A Combination of Roads
  • Spirited
Very nice feeling driving long distances. Comfort and steadiness is excellent. Superb grip on snow, a bit edgy when on the limit on ice. Priceworthy tires without a doubt!
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 8
  • Wet Grip 8
  • Road Feedback 9
  • Handling 8
  • Comfort 10
  • Buy again 10
  • Snow Grip 9
  • Ice Grip 7
Helpful 1,064
81%
Member
I'd say that tires are balanced mostly for driving on clean city roads and subjectively not noisy. They have a good grip at dry surface, wet is also fine on average driving but they are slippy if you try to drive aggresively. I had a good driving experience on wet and snovy roads but grip on ice is very poor. The best thing is that i found them informative, you can feel the type of surface you driving. This helps on ice and wet to identify the surface and adapt driving to appropriate conditions. Overall tires left a good impression on me.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 9
  • Wet Grip 8
  • Road Feedback 9
  • Handling 8
  • Wear 8
  • Comfort 9
  • Buy again 8
  • Snow Grip 9
  • Ice Grip 5
Helpful 1,023

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