Kia Wants Michelin for Fuel Efficient cee’d

Korea’s Kia Motors has selected Michelin to provide the OE tyres for all new additions to the company’s cee’d range. The choice has been inspired by Michelin’s efforts in manufacturing tyres that contribute to the fuel-efficiency of the vehicle they are mounted upon. The cee’d range, Kia states, is to be grown with new low environmental impact models.

It seems that this is a marriage of design principles, with both companies expressing commitment to innovations leading to both increased safety and better fuel economy. The Michelin-Kia partnership began in 2006 when Kia selected Michelin as the exclusive supplier of 15”, 16” and 17” tyres to equip the carmaker’s cee’d range.

Michelin rubber will play an important role in reducing the cars’ eco-footprint, with Kia’s figures suggesting that the tyres could help to increase fuel efficiency by 0.2 litres per 100 kilometres and reduce CO2 emissions by five grams per kilometre. Michelin’s ability to meet three performance criteria – higher fuel efficiency, greater safety and superior mileage – has inspired the move.