Hankook launches Vantra LT

Hankook Tire’s light commercial vehicle line-up has been expanded with the introduction of a new all-season light truck tyre, the Vantra LT. The company says it developed the range to deal with the high demands placed on passenger and goods transport vehicles in regional traffic; it adds that durability, fuel efficiency and mileage played a key role during development, as did safety-related driving characteristics such as short breaking distances and superior wet performance. The new Vantra LT is available in 34 dimensions, covering 14 to 16-inch rim diameters in series 82 to 60 and tread width from 165 to 235. All tyres in the Vantra range bear the M+S marking.

Frequent use in start/stop traffic places special demands on tyres, comments the manufacturer. Therefore, in addition to safety, important features in a tyre for this segment are economy, long service-life and robustness. Hankook reports that the Vantra LT’s design incorporate features such as a sidewall protect shield and optimised groove location with durable contact patch technology – qualities said to enable increased performance and assure safety at high speeds whilst at the same time reducing tread wear and improving the tyre’s fuel efficiency by up to 13 per cent versus the predecessor model. In addition, three-channel wide central grooves and 3D lateral grooves enable are included to facilitate rapid water dispersion.

The Hankook Vantra LT’s footprint is designed to improve durability by applying a square shape contact patch technology that allows for an optimised groove position, increasing stability in the outer grounding footprint area. In combination with the tyre’s reinforced belt structure, which features a double steel belt, this allows a more even distribution of ground pressure – resulting in a reported improvement in wear performance of up to 12 per cent. In addition, the reduced tyre deformation results in a lowered rolling resistance, resulting in higher fuel efficiency and thus heightened cost-effectiveness – a key factor for tyres used for start/stop traffic. The tyre’s applied sidewall protection shield helps to prevent sidewall damage.

Hankook says the tread pattern not only guarantees superior wet braking performance and effectively prevents hydroplaning; it is also said to improve fuel efficiency by minimising energy loss while driving. The Vantra LT’s optimised block stiffness reportedly further improves the tyre’s handling performance in wet, dry and even cold weather conditions without sacrificing block strength. Hankook adds that the tyre’s running smoothness – and thus control and driving comfort – is also perceptibly greater

“Quality and technological leadership in all product categories are key focal points for Hankook,” commented Jin-Wook Choi, president Hankook Tire and CEO for Europe. “With the Vantra LT we are targeting the specific needs of our customers that are interested in a tyre that delivers constant performance and safety over a long service life and helps saving money and protecting the environment at the same time.”