Every now and then I get invited to a tire comparison review. They are usually well set-up to showcase the hosting companies tire off. However, regardless of the set-up, it's a live test where you are in control and can feel the difference for yourself.

This time around, the invitation came from GT Radial, a company I didn't know much about. I've heard the name before, but had no experience with their tires or even knew a single tire name that they produced.

Here's some of the background information that I learned on arrival. Giti is the parent company of GT Radial that also has their name on many of their tires. Giti is headquartered in Singapore and sell many of their brands to more than 100 countries. It currently is the 10th largest tire manufacturer in the world with a recently opened brand-new manufacturing facility in Chester County, South Carolina.

The GT Radial crew were happy to point out that they were the first South Pacific-based company to start producing tires in North America and have now been selling in Canada for the past 20 years.

So why hasn't the name resonated with more Canadians? They've been drowned out by the big name competition that has a marketing budget that can only be dreamt of. They're also considered an upper Tier-3 tire that needs to work extra hard to showcase their talents.

So that's why GT Radial invited fellow media members and tire dealers to this comparison test. They were hoping to prove through a real-life test that their tire belongs in the purchasing discussion. They don't like the label of a Tier-3 tire, as they truly feel they are more of the Tier-2 variety.

On September 22nd, GT Radial launched their brand-new Champiro UHP All-season tire to North America. They brought this tire along with their all-terrain Adventuro AT3 that's been selling in the market for over a year. The Champiros would be fitted to BMW 3-series sedans while the Adventuros would go on Ford F-150s.

For this review, we will focus our attention on their new product the Champiro UHP, which stands for Ultra High-Performance. They would be pitted against the highly-regarded Pirelli PZero Nero and the Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2, both all-season tires. 

The Champiro UHP has been developed for someone that's looking for a sportier or grand touring tire. They're best suited for performance coupes, sedans, or even SUVs. So with that, the BMW 3-series were all fitted with their respective tires and ready for some wet and dry action.

It wouldn't be a complicated test that consisted of an acceleration stage, some braking tests in the dry and wet, followed by a wet and dry slalom. It might have been short and a little more testing might have changed some perceptions, but it was good enough to see if the GT Radial brand would stack up to its competition.

The strangest part of this test was that I really didn't notice much difference in any stage. A slightly quicker brake under heavy acceleration was found in the Hankooks, while the Pirellis lagged behind, or shall I say jetted ahead. On the flip side, I found the Pirelli PZero Nero to have more control in the wet slalom, but once again the others were a close second. Throughout, the Champiro performed admirably in all stages without being the worst in any test.

The goal of any value-tiered tire is to show that they are just as good as their more expensive competitors for a fraction of the cost. The GT Radial Champiro UHP did their job and proved that they could be a legitimate competitor in this game.

A lot of this grip and control comes from their advanced tread compound with Nanometer Silica. It not only provides you more grip on wet and dry roads, but reduces rolling resistance. Furthermore, you will find four wide circumferential grooves and multi-depth sipes that clear out water in a hurry from your path and reduce hydroplaning.

The grooves and sipes were on display through the wet portion of the test. Without that enhanced wet grip, there was no way I could have manoeuvred that wet slalom.

As for tire life, that couldn't be tested here, but GT Radial does provide a 65,000 kilometre limited treadwear warranty.

If you're looking for a reasonably priced, yet performance-oriented tire, GT Radial might be the right fit for you. Keep in mind, that the Champiro UHP is an all-season tire, so it can work for light snow, but isn't recommended, as with any all-season to be used during the Canadian winter months. They can be found through various tire dealers and distributors across Canada and can be fitted on a variety of vehicles ranging from the Subaru Impreza WRX to the Cadillac CTS to the Range Rover Sport.