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Kumho IZen KW23 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Kumho IZen KW23 vs Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 10 + 6 owner reviews. How we score

IZen KW23 is ahead, 73–65

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Kumho IZen KW23
Tire AKumho

IZen KW23

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 10 reviews

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 71

    Dry

    IZen KW23 +5
    66
    Why this score
    SourceIZen KW23Winter 210 Sottozero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7365

    IZen KW23: 60% × 70 (est.) + 40% × 72.9 = 71

    Winter 210 Sottozero 2: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66

    No road tests of dry for IZen KW23. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for Winter 210 Sottozero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 76

    Wet

    IZen KW23 +6
    70
    Why this score
    SourceIZen KW23Winter 210 Sottozero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7870

    IZen KW23: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 78.1 = 76

    Winter 210 Sottozero 2: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 70.3 = 70

    No road tests of wet for IZen KW23. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for Winter 210 Sottozero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 74

    Snow

    IZen KW23 +9
    65
    Why this score
    SourceIZen KW23Winter 210 Sottozero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7661

    IZen KW23: 60% × 72.1 (est.) + 40% × 75.6 = 74

    Winter 210 Sottozero 2: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 60.7 = 65

    No road tests of snow for IZen KW23. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

    No road tests of snow for Winter 210 Sottozero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 72

    Comfort

    IZen KW23 +14
    58
    Why this score
    SourceIZen KW23Winter 210 Sottozero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7454

    IZen KW23: 40% × 69.7 (est.) + 60% × 73.8 = 72

    Winter 210 Sottozero 2: 40% × 65.6 (est.) + 60% × 53.5 = 58

    No road tests of comfort for IZen KW23. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for Winter 210 Sottozero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 72

    Treadwear

    IZen KW23 +7
    65
    Why this score
    SourceIZen KW23Winter 210 Sottozero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7564

    IZen KW23: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 75.3 = 72

    Winter 210 Sottozero 2: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 63.8 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for IZen KW23. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter 210 Sottozero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 73

    Handling (owners)

    IZen KW23 +26
    47
    Why this score
    SourceIZen KW23Winter 210 Sottozero 2
    Reviews found online7347
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho IZen KW23Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2
Relative Score 73 65
Dry 71 66
Wet 76 70
Snow 74 65
Comfort 72 58
Treadwear 72 65
Handling (owners) 73 47

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

IZen KW23

± 8

Winter 210 Sottozero 2

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryIZen KW23Winter 210 Sottozero 2ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #11/11 2014 AZ Winter Tyre Test #9/10 2010 European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A IZen KW23

Pros

  • Outstanding traction and handling on snow and ice
  • Excellent value for money compared to premium brands
  • Provides significant confidence for rear-wheel-drive vehicles in winter

Cons

  • Increased road noise levels
  • Mediocre performance in wet, non-frozen conditions
  • Potential for skidding if tire pressure is not strictly maintained
All owner themes in the IZen KW23 review

Tire B Winter 210 Sottozero 2

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and confidence in cold and wet conditions
  • Reliable performance in snow and ice
  • Maintains characteristic performance over multiple seasons

Cons

  • Extremely high road noise compared to other major brands
  • Some users intend to switch to competitor brands like Michelin or Vredestein for future sets
All owner themes in the Winter 210 Sottozero 2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho IZen KW23 B · Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho IZen KW23

Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2

Winner: Kumho IZen KW23 — better handling, comfort and snow. It leads or ties in every category we score. Kumho IZen KW23 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho IZen KW23 scores 73 vs 47 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho IZen KW23 scores 72 vs 58 on comfort.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Kumho IZen KW23 scores 74 vs 65 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Kumho IZen KW23 scores 72 vs 65 on treadwear.

Tire A · Kumho IZen KW23
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Tire B · Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2
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IZen KW23 or Winter 210 Sottozero 2?

Which is better in the wet, IZen KW23 or Winter 210 Sottozero 2?

Kumho IZen KW23, 76 vs 70 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, IZen KW23 or Winter 210 Sottozero 2?

Kumho IZen KW23, 71 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, IZen KW23 or Winter 210 Sottozero 2?

Kumho IZen KW23, 74 vs 65 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, IZen KW23 or Winter 210 Sottozero 2?

Kumho IZen KW23, 72 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, IZen KW23 or Winter 210 Sottozero 2?

Kumho IZen KW23, 72 vs 65 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology