Hankook exhibits new SmartFlex tyres at Solutrans

Hankook is highlighting its range of regional hybrid tyres, the SmartFlex AH51 steer and SmartFlex DH51 drive tyre at Solutrans (16-20 November at Eurexpo in Lyon, France, stand 3B127). The manufacturer’s premium retread offer, Alphatread, and its 2020-launched Laufenn TBR tyre range are also a focus of Hankook’s exhibition.

“We are pleased to participate in this new edition and to introduce our offer, our services and our new tyres using the latest innovative technologies from Hankook. We are keen to show that Hankook is a premium brand with quality products and services adapted to fleets. This event is an opportunity for us to meet our partners and to develop new professional relationships”, says Xavier Antressangle, Hankook national TBR sales director France and Maghreb.

Hankook SmartFlex tyre features

The two new tyres in the SmartFlex range cover a particularly wide range of applications including regional, last mile distribution, long distance and transport site fitments, as well as 3PMSF certification for year-round use. Hankook developed their tread patterns to provide high grip and mileage performance while being fuel efficient. At 40 per cent wear, interlocking 3D sipes are revealed, enhancing the rigidity of the tread blocks, maintaining high levels of grip and reducing rolling resistance. The so-called “hidden” grooves appear when the tyre is 70 per cent worn and provide continuous wet traction and grip until the tyre is completely worn.

In the development of both tyres, the company’s design engineers used the Hankook SmartLife concept, which focuses on sustainability, performing down to the last millimetre of legal tread depth. The two new treads can be regrooved, like all Hankook TBR tyres, thanks to the additionally integrated rubber and are of course retreadable. In addition, the Hankook SmartLife Premium casing, in combination with the Hankook Premium retreading, ensures an increase in tyre life and milage of up to 250 percent and thus an even further increase in resource conservation and cost efficiency.