Hankook extends product portfolio for Premium SUVs

• - Tyre maker Hankook is further expanding its line-up for the SUV segment. Beside high levels of comfort, safety and performance the company’s flagship tyre for the ever growing group of sports utility vehicles, the Ventus S1 evo² SUV had been especially developed with a low level of rolling resistance. It recently has been also selected as Original Equipment by Daimler AG. Sole production for these tyre types takes place at Hankook’s European high tech plant in Hungary.

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 27. March 2017 – Premium tyre maker Hankook is further extending its tyre portfolio for the premium performance vehicle segment through the expansion of the line-up for its high end tyre Ventus S1 evo² SUV. The tyres were developed not only around the focus safety, performance and comfort-related aspects typical for premium automobiles, such as precise handling, excellent braking performance in both dry and wet, high directional stability and low rolling noise. Hankook’s engineers also realized a considerable reduction in rolling resistance. The latter was achieved by applying a state-of-the-art high-grip styrene-polymer-silica mixture that not only enables optimised wet grip, but also enhances the tyre’s environmental compatibility.

The company will provide specific high-performance yet very low rolling resistance SUV versions from its multiple award-winning Ventus line also for the popular Mercedes-Benz GLC and GLC Coupé. The Stuttgart-based premium automobile manufacturer’s latest generation midsize SUVs are fitted with the Hankook Ventus S1 evo² SUV ex works. Hankook supplies the Mercedes-Benz GLC in size 235/65R17 V MO (Mercedes-Benz Original) or 235/60R18 V MO. Especially the 18 inch MO version distinguished itself during the test phase for its outstandingly low level of rolling resistance and was therefore chosen from Daimler AG as Original Equipment tyre for the CO2 emission relevant EU markets. Additionally the sporty Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupé is fitted with 19 inch tyres in mixed sizes 235/55R19 Y MO (front) and 255/50R19 Y MO (rear) matching the dynamic driving characteristics of the coupé.

“The superior performance of the product documents our potential of being able to supply the market with Hankook state-of-the-art technology and top quality in all premium automobile segments – commercial vehicles, passenger cars, as well as the popular SUV segment,” explains Mr. Seung-Hwa Suh, Vice Chairman and CEO of Hankook Tire. “We are especially proud of the fact that the original fitment tyres for Daimler AG including the patterns for the Mercedes-Benz GLC and GLC Coupé are being developed in cooperation with our German-based R&D centre and manufactured completely in our advanced European production facility in Hungary.”

The sophisticated technology of the Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 SUV with its multiple tread radius and double-layer rayon carcass also effectively support SUV terrain characteristics by providing maximum tread contact under all conditions. The tyre’s innovative DTM inspired 3-layer block design, with its special staircase arrangement of the outer rib blocks, ensures an evenly gripping contact area even as wear progresses thereby guaranteeing very good traction performance throughout the entire lifetime of the tyre.

By increasing the mixing times at lower temperatures, a significant increase in the bonding rate and a more targeted linking of the carbon black with the rubber molecules has been achieved for the tread compound. The result is a lower amount of heat developed while driving, which also has positive effect on the driving dynamics and especially the rolling resistance and wear behaviour. Furthermore, a newly developed styrene polymer also significantly boosts the grip level of the tyre for outstanding brake and traction performance on wet roads.