BMW UK says it is seeing “remarkable” demand for winter tyres whose fitting is still not compulsory in Britain.

The UK, along with much of northern Europe, endured an exceptionally harsh winter earlier this year and snow is forecast for later this week. BMW believes British customers are increasingly opting for the seasonal tyres.

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It was demonstrating the potential for winter tyres at this week’s launch event for the redesigned X3 SUV near Innsbruck, Austria, with heavy snow already blanketing much of the Alpine region.

“The demand we have seen for winter tyres has been quite remarkable,” BMW UK corporate communications director Graham Biggs said in Innsbruck.

“We can fit [them] as a retrospective but more and more people buying new cars are specifying them with winter tyres as well.”

BMW is offering a winter tyre package for around GBP1,200 with individual dealers deciding whether to store the wheels for the customer until required.

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Austria and Germany now require drivers by law to fit winter tyres and, although the UK has traditionally been reluctant to follow suit, the experience of the last severe winter may provide the sector with a boost.

“There is a lot of misunderstanding about winter tyres, but they are very sophisticated bits of kit,” said Biggs. “In markets like Austria and Germany, it is illegal to drive with a summer tyre in the winter.”

BMW offers its driver training programme in locations as diverse as Austria and Namibia.

“The driver training programme is a big thing for BMW and it fits with [our] ethos of driving enjoyment,” said Biggs.

“It has been a huge plus for the brand.”