The Kumho Crugen HP71 SUV tyre, recipient of a 2017 Red Dot Award For Product Design, will be released in global markets within the next two years. According to Kumho Tire Europe, this rollout includes a launch in Europe and the UK.
A great deal of serious rallying takes place in Ireland, continually reminding us of the wealth of natural driving talent that exists on the island from which Paddy Hopkirk MBE emerged all those years ago. The conditions are often wet and slippery, and Kumho Tyres says this is a medium in which its competition tyres have frequently proved themselves the cream of the crop, adding that they often did once again in 2017.
Two new additions will soon join the Kumho commercial vehicle tyre portfolio, the KCA03 for urban bus applications and the KXT10 trailer tyre.
As expected, Kim Jong-ho has returned as chief executive officer of Kumho Tire. The former company president and chief executive officer was named the tyre maker’s new chairman and chief executive officer at an extraordinary meeting of shareholders. It is understood that he will hold this position for a three-year term.
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Marty McCormack drove his Kumho-shod MKII Ford Escort to a memorable outright victory in last weekend’s Roger Albert Clark Rally, a drive some have called the toughest British special stage event of the last 20 years.
No I am not talking about the unqualifiable rumours that Doublestar made an offer of up to 250 million euros for Zenises. Rather, that in the first week of September we learnt that Doublestar’s proposed acquisition of Kumho was collapsing before the firm’s eyes after the Qingdao-Chinese tyre manufacturer asked for a double-digit discount. And it is also worth considering what all this means for the wider tyre manufacturing sector.
Apollo Tyres has denied reports published in India’s Economic Times suggesting that it is about to enter the race to acquire Kumho Tire. An Apollo spokesperson told Tyres & Accessories: “Apollo Tyres strongly denies the story headlined ‘Apollo Back in Kumho Race as Geopolitics Sours China Deal’ that appeared in the print edition of The Economic Times on 2 October, 2017.
Doublestar’s proposed acquisition of Kumho is reportedly close to collapse after the Qingdao-Chinese tyre manufacturer asked for a double-digit discount. According to reports in the Nikkei, Kumho’s major shareholders are planning to write to Doublestar asking the firm to agree to the end of bid talks between the two parties.
Kumho has recently enhanced its 4×4 tyre range with the addition of the Crugen HP91 and Crugen KL33 SUV tyres, fitments which seek to attract interest from road-going owners of vehicles in the segment, as well as 14 SUV sizes in its Solus 4S HA31 range. The newest tyres in the range join the cross-functional new Road Venture MT51 and established KL71 to cover most fitments for popular 4×4 and SUV vehicles. Between them, Kumho states that they cover everything from such top end SUVs as the Range Rover and the BMW X5 to the evergreen Land Rover Defender.
The addition of 14 SUV sizes to the Kumho Solus 4S HA31 range boosts the total portfolio to more than 90 different dimensions. The newly-released Kumho Solus 4S HA31 SUV is available in 16- to 18-inch sizes in sizes to fit vehicles such as the VW Tiguan, Nissan Qashqai, Vauxhall Mokka, Audi Q3/5/7 and BMW X3/4/5.
The original fitment of Kumho tyres on Volkswagen Polo models in Europe continues into the car’s sixth generation. The New Polo will be available from the Volkswagen plant in Pamplona, Spain fitted with the Kumho Ecowing ES01 KH27 as standard equipment. Kumho is supplying the KH27 to Volkswagen in size 185/65 R15 88H.
As Kumho Tyre UK comments, winning international design awards has “become something of a habit” for the South Korean tyre manufacturer. For the second consecutive year, it is guaranteed a prize in the automotive and transport category of America’s International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA).
Qingdao Doublestar Tire’s bid to acquire 42.01 per cent of South Korean tyre maker Kumho Tire is developing into a drama of the sort not witnessed since a stubborn Cooper Chengshan Tire helped derail Apollo Tyres’ purchase of Cooper Tire & Rubber. Business Korea writes today that 41 Kumho Tire executives, including chief executive officer Lee Han-seob, intend to resign should Kumho Tire’s creditors sell the share to Doublestar.
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.
Numerous new size options have been added to the Kumho Solus HA31 all-season tyre range, bringing the total number of available sizes up to 90. The Solus HA31 can now be obtained in 13 to 18-inch fitments, and Kumho says the recent additions to the range cover most of the popular SUVs in the UK market, as well as a wide spectrum of passenger cars.
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