Nexen tyres are a sound mid-range choice: consistent rather than class-leading. Its summer and all-season tyres regularly earn good or satisfactory ratings in ADAC and Auto Bild tests, but they rarely top the table. Nexen also supplies car makers from new, including Volkswagen Group brands, and builds tyres for Europe at its own factory in the Czech Republic. For an everyday car driven in mixed conditions, Nexen offers solid value. For a performance car or a driver chasing the very best wet braking, other tyres test better.
This review covers who makes Nexen, where the tyres are built, the ranges sold in the UK, EU label grades for common sizes and what named testers found. For how the brand tiers compare, see our guide to choosing a tyre brand.
Are Nexen tyres any good?
Yes, within the mid-range. Nexen's test record is best described as steady. Its current summer performance tyre, the N'Fera Sport, was rated good by the ADAC in 2025, and its all-season N'blue 4Season 2 was rated good by Auto Bild Allrad the same year. Its touring N'Fera Primus has earned good and satisfactory grades depending on the year.
What Nexen rarely does is win. Tyre Reviews' running record shows the N'blue 4Season 2 tested ten times without a win, with an average finish of 11th, although many of those tests include large fields. That tells you Nexen is a dependable middle-of-the-field brand, not a hidden premium one.
- Strengths: consistent good and satisfactory ratings, good aquaplaning and snow results in several tests, original equipment approval from major car makers.
- Weaker spot: rarely among the leaders on wet braking or handling in the biggest tests.
- Best fit: everyday family cars and year-round drivers who want value from a known brand.
Who makes Nexen, and its four plants from Yangsan to Žatec
Nexen tyres are made by Nexen Tire Corporation, a South Korean company founded in 1942 as the Heung-A Tire Company and based in Yangsan and Seoul. It took the Nexen name in 2000, according to its Wikipedia entry. Its sister brand, Roadstone, is sold in some markets.
Nexen lists four factories:
- Yangsan, South Korea: its main manufacturing and research base.
- Changnyeong, South Korea: a highly automated plant whose tyres, Nexen says, mostly go to premium car makers as original equipment.
- Qingdao, China: mainly serving the Chinese market.
- Žatec, Czech Republic: its European plant, opened in 2019. Nexen says a second phase was completed in January 2024, expected to double capacity from 5.5 million to 11 million tyres a year.
The Czech factory means a growing share of the Nexen tyres sold in Europe can be made in Europe, but the same pattern may come from more than one plant. The country of manufacture is moulded into the sidewall.
Nexen is also a familiar name to football fans: it has sponsored Manchester City since 2015, according to Wikipedia.
Which Nexen ranges are sold in the UK?
Nexen's UK car tyres fall into the N'Fera summer family, the N'blue family and the Winguard winter tyres. These are the patterns listed on Nexen's UK passenger car page or named in its UK test results:
| Range | Type | Built for |
|---|---|---|
| N'Fera Sport | Summer performance | Sportier cars; also fitted from new by several European brands |
| N'Fera Primus | Summer touring | Everyday family cars and crossovers |
| N'blue HD Plus | Summer | Smaller and everyday cars |
| N'blue 4Season 2 | All-season, 3PMSF marked | Year-round driving without a seasonal swap |
| Winguard Sport 2 and Winguard Snow'G3 | Winter | Dedicated winter use |
Nexen's UK site also lists the N'Fera SU1 and the original N'blue 4Season, plus separate SUV and van ranges. Test results for one pattern do not transfer to another, so always ask for the pattern name with a quote.
What do the EU tyre labels show for Nexen?
The EU tyre label grades rolling resistance and wet grip from A to E and gives external noise in decibels, and each size has its own grades. The European Commission publishes every registered tyre's label in its EPREL database. For two common family car sizes:
| Pattern | Size | Rolling resistance | Wet grip | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N'Fera Primus | 205/55 R16 91V | C | B | 71 dB |
| N'blue 4Season 2 | 205/55 R16 94V XL | C | B | 72 dB |
Sources: the EU product information sheet for the N'Fera Primus and a UK retailer listing for the N'blue 4Season 2. Tyre Reviews notes that C, B and 72 dB are the most common grades across the N'blue 4Season 2 range.
A B for wet grip is a good grade but one step below the A that many rival summer tyres now carry in these sizes. The all-season N'blue 4Season 2 matching it is a respectable result for a tyre that also has to cope with snow. The label does not cover tread life, dry handling or snow performance, so use it as a first filter. Our EU tyre label guide explains each grade.
Nexen in ADAC and Auto Bild tests
Nexen's results cluster around good and satisfactory, with occasional strong showings in snow and aquaplaning. Most of these results are collected on Nexen's UK magazine test page; where an independent report exists, it is linked below.
| Test | Pattern and size | Result |
|---|---|---|
| ADAC summer test 2023, 50 tyres | N'Fera Primus, 205/55 R16 | Grade 2.5, good |
| ADAC summer test 2024, 16 tyres | N'Fera Primus | 11th of 16, satisfactory |
| Auto Bild summer test 2024, 55 tyres | N'Fera Primus | 17th of 55, satisfactory |
| ADAC summer test 2025 | N'Fera Sport, 225/40 R18 | Good |
| Auto Bild Sportscars 2024, 11 tyres | N'blue 4Season 2 | 6th of 11, good |
| Auto Bild Allrad all-season test 2025 | N'blue 4Season 2, 215/55 R17 | Good |
| Auto Bild winter test 2022, 56 tyres | Winguard Sport 2, 215/55 R17 | 10th of 56 |
The ADAC's 2023 test is a good benchmark: the N'Fera Primus finished with a good grade of 2.5, level with the Hankook Ventus Prime4, in a field of 50 where only ten tyres were rated good. In 2025 the ADAC rated the N'Fera Sport good in 225/40 R18, and Stiftung Warentest's summary of that test gives it 2.4 for driving safety and 2.5 for environmental performance.
For all-season buyers, Tyre Trade News reported that Auto Bild Allrad rated the N'blue 4Season 2 good in 2025, with dependable snow traction and good dry braking. The wider record is more modest: Tyre Reviews lists ten tests for the N'blue 4Season 2 with no wins and an average finish of 11th. Its predecessor, the N'blue 4Season, averaged 8th across 17 tests with one win.
As always, a result applies to the size and car tested, so use it as a guide to the pattern rather than a promise about your exact tyre.
Volkswagen, Porsche and other OE fitments
Nexen supplies tyres to several major car makers from new. In a 2021 press release, Nexen said it had supplied original equipment tyres since 2012, including to Volkswagen and Audi, and that its Czech plant had begun supplying the N'Fera Primus for the Hyundai Tucson.
Nexen's UK original equipment list names fitments including:
- Volkswagen Golf: N'blue S and N'Fera Sport.
- Skoda Fabia, Scala and Karoq, and Seat Ibiza and Leon: N'blue, N'Fera and N'blue 4Season patterns.
- BMW X1 and X3, Audi A3 and MINI hatch: N'Fera Sport.
- Porsche Panamera: N'Fera Sport and Winguard Sport 2 in 19-inch sizes.
- Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson: N'Fera Primus in several sizes.
The list covers several markets, so a model sold in the UK may not arrive on Nexens. Whatever your car came with, replacements must meet the size, load index and speed rating in the handbook.
Which Nexen pattern suits which driver
- Everyday family car drivers: the N'Fera Primus has a record of good and satisfactory grades and is fitted from new to popular family SUVs.
- Year-round drivers: the N'blue 4Season 2 carries the snowflake marking and a good Auto Bild Allrad rating. Read are all-season tyres worth it to decide whether all-season suits you.
- SUV owners: Nexen's UK site lists a separate SUV range alongside the car patterns, so ask which Nexen tyres are made in your size.
- Performance car drivers: the N'Fera Sport is a sound choice, but if outright wet braking and handling matter most, compare it with tyres that have topped recent performance tests.
N'Fera Primus or N'Fera Sport? Checks before you buy
- Which N'Fera: the N'Fera Primus is the touring tyre for family cars and crossovers, and the N'Fera Sport is the performance tyre. They share a name but not a test record: the ADAC graded the Primus good in 2023 and satisfactory in 2024, and rated the Sport good in 2025. Make sure the quote names the one you mean.
- Which N'blue 4Season: Nexen's UK site lists both the original N'blue 4Season and the N'blue 4Season 2. The good 2025 Auto Bild Allrad rating belongs to the 4Season 2; on Tyre Reviews' record the original averaged 8th across 17 tests with one win, and the newer tyre 11th across ten with none.
- The factory: the same Nexen pattern can come from Korea, China or the Czech Republic, and the country of manufacture is moulded into the sidewall. If you have a preference, check it on the tyre before it goes on.
- The label for your size: the C, B and 71 to 72 dB grades above are for 205/55 R16. Other sizes carry their own grades, which you can look up in the EPREL database.
- Your car's original fitment: if the car came on Nexens, such as a Golf on N'Fera Sport or a Sportage on N'Fera Primus, the same pattern in the handbook size, load index and speed rating is the simplest like-for-like.
Our verdict: a steady mid-range brand, rarely a winner
Nexen is a dependable mid-range brand that does the job well without leading the field. Our tyre brands page places it alongside Hankook, Kumho, Falken and Toyo, above the budget tier and below premium names such as Michelin and Continental. Its tyres consistently earn good or satisfactory ratings from the ADAC and Auto Bild, it builds tyres in Europe at Žatec, and car makers from Volkswagen to Porsche have approved its tyres for new cars.
For an everyday car, the N'Fera Primus or the N'blue 4Season 2 is a sensible, test-backed choice. If you want the best available wet braking or the sharpest handling, compare the N'Fera Sport with tyres that have won recent tests in your size. Our budget vs premium tyres guide explains why the gap between a good mid-range tyre and a weak budget tyre is usually larger than the gap to premium, and our budget tyres page covers the tier below.
Getting a Nexen quote and fitting
We can source Nexen tyres in your size. Give us the pattern name as well as the size, for example N'Fera Primus, N'Fera Sport or N'blue 4Season 2, so the quote is for the tyre you have read about; we can also quote other mid-range or premium options to compare. Our mobile fitters come to your home or workplace from our one base at Brent Cross, NW2. London and the Home Counties are closest; we also take some jobs further out, and we tell you on the call whether we can reach you and when. The price is confirmed before any work starts. Call or WhatsApp 07473 720871, or book online.
