Hankook Tire Receives Top Marks from Two Most Renowned
European Automotive Tire Tests
Hankook Tire Continues To Outperform Competition
in Product Quality
§ Hankook Tire’s Icebear W440 wins amongst 18 tire brands in the top European automobile club(ADAC)’s tire test
§ Hankook Tire’s Optimo 4S wins amongst 9 tire brands in the leading European automobile magazine(AutoBild)’s tire test
Seoul, Korea, September 29, 2009 - Once again Hankook Tire’s technology and excellence have received the highest recommendation in comprehensive tire tests from leading European automotive publications such as AutoBild and ADAC.
The Hankook Tire’s Optimo 4S all-season tire shined once again in the recently performed test by AutoBild, Europe’s largest automotive magazine. Thanks to its “Absolutely impressive all-round talent,” as the testers wrote, the all-weather specialist was named the overall winner, having taken first place in five individual categories, and winning the label of “Exemplary” over the competition.
Like last year, the AutoBild editorial desk confirmed that the Optimo 4S (four seasons) delivers peak performance in categories including braking, traction on wet surfaces, and hydroplaning. The tire also received special praise for having the lowest rolling resistance in the test, beating out all of its competitors. This means the Hankook Tire Optimo 4S enables not only an excellent safety level ? including top performance during braking ? but also enhances fuel efficiency compared to its competitors, where in some cases by more than two percent. In the category of the vehicles tested, it leads to an average savings of more than 50 litres of fuel and 120 kg of CO2 over the life of the tire.
In addition to this, the Europe’s most respective automobile club, ADAC, awarded Hankook Tire’s Icebear W440 with top marks noting it, “Very Recommendable.” The test results also proved that the Icebear W440 displayed great results from all criteria related to safety, as it was noted to be a “Very well-balanced tires.
ADAC continued to emphasize the balanced measures and their pronounced purchasing recommendations. During the test, the Icebear W440 proved to be a highly weighted balanced tire, which is also Hankook Tire’s Icebear W440 strength as it delivers the required performance in all weather situations including the winter, whether it is on snow, ice, dry surfaces, or in the wet. It also proved to have a decisive discipline in any and every tire test, as the Icebear achieved top marks in all fields, outperforming many established brands. Whether in wet braking, aquaplaning assessment, wet handling or lateral stability, which is essential when taking curves, Hankook Tire’s Icebear W440 displayed no weaknesses.
Mr. Seung Hwa Suh, Global CEO of Hankook Tire, comments on the independent distinction granted by AutoBild and the ADAC tests stating, “We are delighted at the outstanding outcome of the tests, and these remarkable results again prove that our product quality is on the highest level.” He adds, “Hankook Tire will continue to further develop high quality products to meet increasing demands from consumers.”
The new Hankook Tire’s Optimo 4S was launched in the summer of 2008 in a total of 46 sizes, from 145/80 R 13 T for smaller vehicles to the V-rated 235/45 R 17 UHP size for luxury sedans.
The Icebear W440 has been designed with Hankook Tire’s own Kontrol Technology1 to improve handling characteristics and greater durability. The tire contour optimized with aid of finite element analyses to ensure good winter characteristics and comparatively low tire wear. Equipped with an unidirectional, flow-optimised V-profile thermo-elastic full silica tread compound, the Hankook Tire Icebear W440 is available in speed indices Q (-160 km/h) to H (-210 km/h) and in sizes that range from 135/80 R 13 to 205/55 R 16, in many cases it also is an extra-loaded version. With 47 available sizes, it covers a wide range of tire models from micro-cars to small and compact cars, and on to a faster medium-range saloons and combi-models..