Kumho Expands High Performance Range

Korea’s Kumho has added two new HP tyres under its Ecsta brand in Europe – the HM KH31, which competes for a slice of the lucrative medium car market, including such perennial top-sellers as the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and VW Golf; and the X3 KL17, which is targeting more luxurious vehicles. The manufacturer also says that it aims to continue to increase its OE business in Europe, an ambition exemplified by the recent agreement with Mercedes-Benz to supply the Ecsta KU19 in size 245/45R18 for the newest model Viano X-Clusive. The company now does global OE business with Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Smart, Volkswagen and Daimler, to whom it has supplied tyres for the A-Class model since 2007.

Kumho’s new KH31 straddles the HP and UHP markets, replacing the company’s own much-vaunted KH11; a tyre that has proved successful in many rounds of European tyre tests. The company’s Birmingham-based European Technical Centre, known as the KETC was instrumental in the development of the new tyre, and the tread pattern, construction, compound and testing were all controlled from there. The key target for improvement was aquaplaning performance – lateral and longitudinal. The company believes that the KETC has been able to build on the abilities of the KH11 to yield further improvements in its wet weather performance.

The company is also drawing attention to the tyre’s dry-weather handling and low levels of noise and vibration, clearly taking into account the new labelling requirements currently passing into EU law. The tread pattern features three wide centre ribs for high speed driving stability, plus intersections of longitudinal and lateral grooves for maximum water drainage.

Kumho also draws attention to the April 2009 Which? Magazine tyre tests, in which the tyre achieved high marks for its wet weather performance; the KH31 achieving the best result of all in their wet braking test, when pitted against 13 other brands of 205/55R16 W tyres. Its stopping distance bettered that of the group’s poorest performer by 7.71 metres, or the length of two small cars. The KH31 is available in a wide range of sizes from 155/65R14 to 225/40R18.

Kumho’s new product for the luxury and sports SUV market is the Ecsta X3 KL17. The company says that the product offers outstanding resistance to aquaplaning, high cornering stability and a notably quiet and comfortable ride, all highly-prized assets in a luxury car tyre. It is available in fitments from 16” right through to 32” (an ultra large size pioneered by Kumho), taking in key growth sizes such as 255/50R19 and 275/40R20.

In a similar vein, the SPT KU31 is now available in over 100 sizes, most with extra load capability and Y speed rating. Combining Kumho’s race-derived tyre technology with some of the latest innovations in road tyre design, the KU31 incorporates patented rotate wear indicators enabling visual monitoring of tread life and special notches to protect against water turbulence through the tyre’s longitudinal grooves; two features the company believes will enhance the driving experience. Influential German motoring magazine Auto Bild gave the market-leading 205/55R16 V size of KU31 its coveted ‘Exemplary’ rating in a test of 12 tyres, commenting on its stable and safe driving characteristics on wet and dry roads as well as its low noise.

Run-flats

Kumho has one of the more lengthy histories of supplying run-flat tyres for the European replacement market and the company introduced its first XRP or Extended Run-Flat Performance version of the ECSTA SPT for the Mini Cooper in 2005. This has since been joined by some 13 of the most popular BMW fitments from 195/55R16 to 245/40R18, which between them cover most of the requirements for the Mini, 1, 3 and 5 Series BMW models. Several additional sizes are planned for introduction in the near future.

Kumho’s XRP tyres have reinforced sidewalls and a specially reinforced bead that will support the car’s weight and ensure a secure fit on the wheel, even after complete loss of inflation pressure. The tyre formula prevents heat from building up while driving when the tyre is deflated.

In order to allow sale of its replacement run-flat products throughout the world, Kumho built a high degree of tolerance into their technical specification from its first tyre in this category. The company says that it is now moving towards second generation products that will guarantee ride comfort even closer to that of a conventional tyre, courtesy of refinements to the tread profile as a result of finite element analysis and the use of lighter gauge sidewall inserts.

Kumho XRP tyres can be retro-fitted to any make of car, provided the wheel is of the right size and the car is equipped with a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.