Hankook now supplying numerous tyres for Mercedes S-Class

It is the ‘MO’ label on the sidewall that Hankook Tire is particularly proud of. The two letters stand for ‘Mercedes Original’, and only tyres that match strict quality criteria are approved as original equipment for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. These letters appear on the sides of three Hankook tyre models that Mercedes-Benz fits on the S-Class, continuing a supply arrangement that began almost a decade ago.

“We are very proud to be the original equipment supplier for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which is considered the absolute top of the luxury segment in the global automotive industry,” says Sanghoon Lee, president of Hankook Tire Europe. “We see this as confirmation that our products meet the highest requirements across different markets.”

Greater size availability

Mercedes-Benz equipped the previous model S-Class with a 17-inch Hankook tyre, and it has now chosen several sizes and types of summer, winter and all-season tyres for the current vehicle. In European markets, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 summer tyres for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class range from size 255/50 R18 to 285/40 R19. The Mercedes-Benz Group has approved the Hankook Winter i*cept evo 2 in sizes 255/50 R18 and 255/45 R19 as winter tyres for its top model.

These tyres are perfectly matched to the S-Class and needed to fulfil up to 50 criteria to meet the strict quality requirements of the Mercedes-Benz Group in terms of safety, precision and comfort. Hankook says its engineers significantly improved the driving behaviour of both tyre types with an aramid hybrid reinforcement belt.

The Hankook Winter i*cept evo 2 also boasts a further optimised tread stiffness, which is beneficial in terms of handling and mileage. Klaus Krause, head of the Hankook Europe Technical Center, played a key role in the development of the tyres in accordance with MO specifications: “During the transition from the first to the second casting, we applied additional cross-braces and a lower tread depth. Narrower lateral tread grooves and a modified contour on the second upper groove once again brought about measurable progress in terms of noise comfort.”

Run-flat versions available

Both the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 and the Winter i*cept evo 2 ranges approved for the S-Class include run-flat products. These feature ‘MOE’ on the sidewall, the final letter standing for Extended, and can be driven at up to 50 mph in the event of a sudden loss of pressure. Hankook Tire says the tyres nonetheless provide a high level of driving comfort.

Restrictive speed limits in the United States mean that high speed indices play a more peripheral role there. On the other hand, this important market for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has extremely high ride and noise comfort requirements. These are criteria for which Hankook says even its all-weather tyres can fulfil. American customers of this luxury model benefit from the properties of the Hankook Ventus S1 noble 2 in size 255/45 R 19 and in a run-flat design.

USA only: Hankook Sound Absorber for noise comfort

The Ventus S1 noble 2 fitted to the S-Class in size 255/40 R20 is identified by ‘MOE-S’ lettering on the sidewall. This indicates that the tyre is particularly quiet. To meet the stringent noise requirements for this category, the tyre developers applied Hankook Sound Absorber, a polyurethane foam plate integrated into the tyre body during the manufacturing process. The plate minimises the vibrations of the air column inside the tyre that are perceived as a particularly unpleasant humming sound. Hankook Sound Absorber tyres can reduce the peak noise level by five to seven dB(A) and are particularly suitable for ultra-high-performance tyres with small cross-sections but large overall resonance cavities.

3 tyre models are supplied for Europe & North America (Photo: Hankook Tire)

New development & manufacturing tools

Hankook Tire used complex simulation tools when developing tyres for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, especially when optimising pass-by noise. These tools make it possible to precisely compare the values calculated in advance with the actual noise development of prototype tyres. While the main part of the development work took place in the 2016-inaugurated Hankook Technodome R&D centre in South Korea, Hankook’s engineers primarily used test tracks in Germany, Finland and Spain for practical testing.

The Hankook engineers also identified potential for improvement in the manufacturing process. The all-season and winter tyres particularly benefited from a new mould release method. While the even separation of the green tyre and the mould was previously ensured by eight mould sectors with almost identical angles, Hankook now uses nine or eleven sectors with different angles. The result is that the tyres now meet the strict uniformity goals of the premium manufacturer even better than before while also boasting more harmonious rolling characteristics.