Supported by the manufacturer’s increased original equipment business and its motorsport activities, Kumho’s car tyre range has been reviewed well in the latest round of magazine testing, Its latest high performance product, the Ecsta HS51, was awarded the ‘Recommended’ rating by the highly-regarded German consumer magazine, ACE Lenkrad, for example.
Kumho has launched a new heavy duty tyre for vans. The KC53 is primarily designed for the latest generation of large commercial vans and will gradually supersede the long-serving 857 in popular 15” and 16” sizes, the manufacturer states.
Kumho’s year in motorsport was capped by its continued association with single-seater racing in the form of the Formula 3 Masters weekend in Zandvoort, which celebrated its quarter-century anniversary in September. The manufacturer has supplied all the tyres for the event since 2002, and took the opportunity for a strong marketing presence.
The timetable for the relocation of Kumho Tire’s factory in Nanjing, China has been set out. The shift to a new site will take place in stages throughout 2016 and will see the plant set up in an economic development zone in Pukou, some 19 miles (30 kilometres) from the original factory site. Both the passenger car tyre factory and the truck and bus tyre factory should be relocated to the new location by the end of next year.
Following the news in late September that Kenda received an investment license for setting up a tire factory in Vietnam, further attention has been cast on both the local tyre market and the country’s attractiveness to foreign tyre manufacturers.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is now fitting Kumho tyres to the new Jeep Renegade SUVs produced in its Melfi plant in Italy. The Kumho Crugen Premium KL33 has been approved as an original equipment tyre for the Renegade in sizes 215/60R17 100V XL and 225/55R18 98H. Kumho already delivers original equipment tyres to FCA for the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Fiat Freemont.
The new corporate headquarters for Kumho Tire USA is now officially open. Formerly situated in Rancho Cucamonga, California, the head office is now located in Atlanta, Georgia. The new site offers closer proximity to Kumho’s new factory in Macon, which occupies a 21 acre site close to Atlanta Airport, and its distribution centre in McDonough, Georgia; Kumho Tire USA says the positioning of its relocated headquarters will “help streamline communication and cooperation within our company.”
Kumho Tyre has appointed Dirk Rockendorf as marketing director for the European market. The 46-year-old marketing and tyre expert, who has been in charge of Kumho’s European marketing team since 1 November, 2015, will be responsible for price and product management, communications and PR and the company’s European motorsport and sponsorship activities. The development of […]
Kumho’s recently introduced Ecowing ES01 KH27 is a high performance summer product aimed at drivers for whom fuel efficiency and quiet, smooth running are major priorities.
Kumho’s first North American tyre plant is due for completion in early 2016. The facility is sited in Macon, Georgia, close to Atlanta Airport, which Kumho explains is the busiest in the world, and under 180 miles from the international port of Savannah. Kumho aims to strengthen its position globally and in the key North American market, and has invested $420 million in the factory so far. When complete, the building will cover 21 acres, and produce around four million tyres per annum. Around 90 staff are already engaged on site, a figure that will rise to 400 by the time of next year’s opening.
Micheldever Tyre Services’ wholesale business, worth £230 million in annual sales, has taken significant steps to support the on and offline operations of its independent tyre dealer customers in 2015. The added value of MTS’ services has become increasingly important in the light of continued growth in the number of retail branches controlled by the top 20 multiples (as noted in our Tyre Retail feature in the May magazine), and the increased online competition provided by internet specialists, big retail brands from within and outside the traditional tyre sector, and now, with Michelin’s acquisition of Blackcircles.com, major tyre manufacturers themselves. Alan Baldwin, sales director at Micheldever Tyre Services, told Tyres & Accessories, “I’m confident that there isn’t another wholesaler, distributor, and in many cases, manufacturer, in the UK that invests as much money, time and resources in supporting dealers as we do.”
The 25 lap grand final of the Zandvoort Formula Three Masters was won by Italian Antonio Giovinazzi, fighting off a determined challenge from fellow Carlin driver, the UK’s George Russell. The event was run on Kumho’s S700 tyres; the Korean manufacturer has supplied the event since 2002, and had a strong presence at the 18-20 September event.
After more than a month of strike action, unionised workers at Kumho Tire’s three factories in South Korea are preparing to return to work. However this move doesn’t signal an end to the industrial action that is estimated to have already cost the tyre maker around 150 billion won (£82.1 million) – Yonhap News reports that the walkout has only been temporarily suspended pending the election of a new union leader.
In its annual winter tyre performance survey, German motoring publication AutoBild narrows a wide field of 49 winter tyres and two all-season tyres with wet and snow braking measurements before conducting a full test of a range of characteristics. 19 tyres made it through to the 2015/16 season test, conducted using the tyre size 185/60 R15.
Kumho Tire has chosen the IAA motor show in Frankfurt as the launch venue for several new products, including the company’s self-sealing tyres and tyres for electric vehicles.
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