Hankook gains top scores again at the 2023 Auto Express Product of the Year Awards

- All-season Kinergy 4S 2 is once again the winner of the All-Season Product of the Year Award
- “Commended” rating secured for the Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV following excellent wet braking and handling performance
- Product of the Year Awards debut for Hankook’s Winter i*cept RS 3

Seoul, Korea, 22 June 2023 – Premium tire manufacturer Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook Tire) has three flagship products on the prestigious Auto Express Product of the Year Awards podium, in all three tire categories – All-season, Summer, and Winter.

The all-season Kinergy 4S 2 has been named the 2023 Product of the Year Winner and this follows the tire’s 2022 and 2021 All-Season Tire Test Winner accolades. It starred in the wet tests and was super-safe and effective on the handling track, with a strong front and stable rear. Auto Express highlighted this achievement by stating “Hankook Tire is now firmly established among the premium brands and this second victory on the trot for its all-season Kinergy 4S 2 is no surprise” (Auto Express May 17, 2023).

The second Auto Express Product of the Year Award with a ‘Commended’ rating was presented to the Hankook Tire Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV tire and follows the Auto Express SUV Tire Test 2022 ‘Recommended’ Award. Described as ‘the tire to have in the wet’ (Auto Express July 20, 2022), the Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV performed equally well in the wet and the dry, as well as dealing well with deep water in a straight line and cornering.

Finally, the new-for-2022 Winter i*cept RS 3 ended the year with the 2022 Winter Tire Test Award ‘Recommended’ rating and has now, for the first time, received the 2023 Auto Express Product of the Year Award, ‘Commended’ accolade. Auto Express describes the tire as ‘Good to drive, with pleasing sharpness, this is a promising debut’ (Auto Express May 17, 2023)

"Once again, we are delighted with these Product of the Year awards from Auto Express and this proves that Hankook Tire’s tires are a great choice for our UK customers all year round. Hankook Tire is committed to ongoing investment in research and development to continue improving our portfolio of products and their performance," comments Chang Yool Han, the Managing Director of Hankook Tire UK.

Safe driving all year round – The features of the three award-winning tires

With the Kinergy 4S 2, premium tire maker Hankook Tire has developed an all-season specialist for various weather and temperature conditions. Now in its fifth generation, the Kinergy 4S 2 offers an even more balanced and consistent performance. The tire is aimed especially towards quality and cost-conscious drivers who want to do without the six-monthly tire change, but still want year-round balanced performance and safety. Particularly in view of the increasingly changeable weather conditions in Europe, as well as predominant use in a more urban environment, the tire offers an attractive alternative for ensuring year-round mobility in compliance with the law.

The Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV summer tire delivers an enhanced sporty and dynamic performance on both dry and wet roads due to a new tread compound using high-performance natural resins. The use of special nylon material in the sidewall area, “bead packing,” provides significantly increased sidewall strength. The two-layer carcass and the use of an aramid composite material have reduced the unwanted expansion of the rolling circumference at high speeds by up to 60% compared to previous patterns, delivering very high driving stability and steering precision, as well as increased durability due to lower overall heat development.

All features of Hankook Tire’s new Winter i*cept RS 3 surpass its successful predecessor to offer even greater levels of safety. For snow and icy conditions, the new inverted V-treads and 3D sipes have reduced braking distances by up to 4%. New micro edges and improved tread stiffness provide significantly more traction and lateral grip when cornering on snow. In wet conditions, the braking distance has been reduced by up to 7% using various material and design technologies including the new generation of “Aqua Pine Compound,” which is based on natural resins. V-shaped tread grooves and crisscrossed small grooves to improve water drainage and prevent aquaplaning.