Hankook’s Winter i*cept RS² has proved successful in the latest Winter Tyre Test from Auto Express, the UK’s bestselling car magazine. Finishing a close second against seven other tyre brands in the popular 225/45R17 size found on many family cars, the tyre achieved first place finishes in several categories including snow braking, snow traction and snow circle.
Hankook Tyre UK has extended its courtesy car scheme with the introduction of a larger fleet of branded Hyundai i10s offered to a selection of supportive dealers across its UK retail network. The scheme, set up in 2015, is designed to incentivise supportive dealers with 25 new 67-plate Hankook-liveried Hyundai i10s. The car was selected for its low running costs, and has been supplied to a selection of retailers around the UK over a two-and-a-half-year period as a courtesy car.
Hankook Tire has released the Kinergy PT (H737, the first tyre made exclusively at the company’s Clarksville, Tennessee plant in the USA.
A new generation of Hankook Kinergy Eco will be released in spring 2018. The Kinergy Eco² was developed for modern small, compact and mid-range vehicles and, like its predecessor, a focus has been placed upon safety, fuel economy and driving comfort. An initial launch range of 52 sizes will cover demand in the 13- to 16-inch rim diameter size bracket.
Hankook Tire has been included in the globally renowned Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the second year in a row.
The DJSI, launched in 1999 as a joint product of S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM, is the first global index to track financial, environmental, and social influence of global top 2,500 companies in terms of market capitalisation. The DJSI includes sustainability leaders in each industry group who were identified through a corporate sustainability assessment.
Hankook reports that it has updated its sound absorber technology with a new foam and adhesion process that further reduce tyre weight. The next foam is said to reduce internal noise levels by as much as 5 to 7 dB(A).
Hankook’s ultra-high performance flagship tyre, the Ventus S1 evo², will be fitted to the latest Audi RS5 Coupé as original equipment in 19 and 20-inch sizes. The tyre manufacturer has previously supplied the tyre to Audi’s TT RS in 2016. The RS 5 Coupé will use the newly developed V6 biturbo engine, which combines performance with greater efficiency. This suitability for everyday use is, Hankook states, reflected in the tyres, which are designed to provide sporty handling alongside driving comfort, and improved grip alongside durability.
The Hankook supplied DTM championship enters the final third of its 2017 season at the Nürburgring this weekend for races 13 and 14. The tyre manufacturer and exclusive DTM partner states that the correct management of the race tyre and a pit stop strategy tailored to the racetrack and the car set-up will be keys to success in the Eifel Mountains. In the last meeting at Zandvoort, discussed in the video below, this was exemplified by Loic Duval (Audi), who climbed from 13th on the grid to finish runner-up, completing 26 of the 37 laps on one set of the Ventus Race – the longest stint by any of the drivers, and one that earned him the first podium of his DTM career.
A successor to the Hankook Ventus R-s3 UHP range has been launched in Australia, and Hankook Tyre Australia says the new Ventus R-s4 semi-slick has been “designed with maximised grip, durability, and handling performance,” making it “perfect for both track and general driving.”
Hankook opened its Technotrac winter tyre testing facility in Ivalo, Finland early in 2017. With facilities ready for both commercial vehicle testing and future expansion, the facility will help the manufacturer push forward its winter and all-season ranges for the European and global markets. Tyres & Accessories spoke to vice president Klaus Krause, head of the Europe Technical Center about its European Technotrac winter testing facility and the segment in general.
The best designers and manufacturers of the year were recognised on 3 July at the Red Dot Gala 2017 event in Essen, Germany, and amongst the products selected by the 9-strong Red Dot judging panel were five tyres; these gained ‘Red Dot’ awards in Product Design. The awarded tyres are the Continental PremiumContact 6, Federal 595RS-RR, Laufenn I FIT, Kumho Crugen HP71 and Nexen N’Fera RU1.
Sales of imported tyres in Korea increased by more than 40 per cent in the January to April period when compared with 2016 figures, according to the Korea Tire Manufacturers Association (KOTMA).
If this pace continues, imported tyres will set a record high this year. According to KOTMA, this is largely due to Hyundai Motor and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors introducing imported tyres on their models, media said.
Hankook has relocated its European headquarters and German office. The companies have moved into a new office building nearby its previous Neu-Isenburg site effective 26 June. The move was driven by the need for more space for expansion. Other motivations include the lack of high-speed data transmission technology at the old location.
Although Hankook Tire is still hiring staff for its new factory in Clarksville, Tennessee and intends to hold an official plant inauguration ceremony towards the end of this year, tyre production has reportedly already started there.
The new BMW M4 GT4 made its competitive debut in the ADAC Zurich 24-hour race at the Nürburgring late last month, running on Hankook Ventus Race tyres, and Hankook Tire has now begun supplying this tyre as original equipment for cars sold to customer racing teams around the world. BMW Motorsport has selected the Ventus Race in size 300/660 R18, on 11×18-inch rims, for the 431 hp, straight-six M4 GT4.
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