Hankook has announced that it has been selected as the original equipment manufacturer for the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class across all markets.

Hankook has announced that it has been selected as the original equipment manufacturer for the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class across all markets.

Hankook has announced that it has been selected as the original equipment manufacturer for the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class across all markets.Hankook has announced that it has been selected as the original equipment manufacturer for the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class across all markets.

In a release the company said that it is the “MO” label on the tyre wall that Hankook is particularly proud of, as the two letters stand for “Mercedes Original”. 

Only tyres with this seal are approved as original equipment for a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, which abide by aa criteria in this regard, the release said. A tyre has to fulfill up to 50 criteria to meet the strict quality requirements of the Mercedes-Benz Group in terms of safety, precision and comfort.

Jeongho Park, Executive Vice President and Director of OE Division at Hankook Tyre said, “’We are very proud to be the original equipment supplier for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which is considered the absolute top of the luxury segment in the global automotive industry. We see this as confirmation that our products meet the highest requirements across different markets.” 

After Hankook was already represented with a basic tyre on a previous model, Mercedes-Benz has now included Hankook as original equipment manufacturer for a large number of different tyre sizes and types following its approval for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. For the current luxury saloon car presented in September 2020, Hankook supplies three different tyre types, for summer, winter and all-season in a range of different sizes.

In the European market, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 summer tyres range from size 255/50 R 18 to 285/40 R 19. The Mercedes-Benz Group has approved the Hankook Winter i*cept evo 2 in sizes 255/50 R 18 and 255/45 R 19 as winter tyres for its top model. Hankook said it’s engineers were able to significantly improve the driving behaviour of both tyre types with an aramid hybrid reinforcement belt. 

The Hankook Winter i*cept evo 2 also has a further optimised tread stiffness, which is of benefit in terms of handling and mileage. Moonhwa Hong, Senior Vice President and CTO of OE Development Department at Hankook Tyre said, “During the transition from the first to the second casting, we applied additional cross-braces and a lower tread depth. Narrower, lateral tread grooves and a modified contour on the second upper groove once again brought about measurable progress in terms of noise comfort”. 

The Mercedes-Benz Group uses the “MOE” (Mercedes Original Extended) label to designate runflat tyres with reinforced sidewalls. They can continue to be driven at up to 80 km/h even in the event of a sudden loss of pressure. They guarantee sufficient mobility even in the event of a flat tyre, allowing the driver to get from the motorway or a country road to the nearest Mercedes-Benz dealership for example. 

In the United States, high speed indices play a minor role due to restrictive speed limits. On the other hand, this market, which is very important for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, has extremely high requirements when it comes to ride and noise comfort. American customers of this luxury model benefit from Hankook Ventus S1 noble 2 in size 255/45 R 19 and in the runflat design. 

The Ventus S1 noble 2 in size 255/40 R 20 is even more comfortable. The “MOE-S” label (Mercedes Original Extended Silent) on the tire wall indicates that the tyre is particularly quiet. In order to meet the stringent noise requirements for this category, Hankook engineers applied Hankook Sound Absorber. This involves integrating a special polyurethane foam plate into the tyre body during the manufacturing process. The plate minimises the vibrations of the air column inside the tyre which are perceived as a particularly unpleasant humming sound. Sound absorber tyres can reduce the peak noise level by five to seven dB(A) and are particularly suitable for ultra-high-performance tires with small cross-sections but large overall resonance cavities. 

Complex simulation tools were used when developing tyres for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, especially when optimising the pass-by noise. These tools make it possible to precisely compare the values calculated in advance with the actual noise development of prototype tires. While the main part of the development work took place in the high-tech R&D centre Hankook Technodome, which opened in 2016, the engineers mainly used test tracks in Germany, Finland or Spain for practical testing. 

Hankook said it’s engineers also identified potential for improvement in the manufacturing process. The all-season and winter tyres in particular have benefited from a new mold release method. While the even separation of the green tyre and the mold was previously ensured by eight mold sectors with almost identical angles, Hankook now uses nine or eleven sectors with different angles. The result of this is that the tyres now meet the strict uniformity goals of the premium manufacturer even better than before while also boasting more harmonious rolling characteristics. (TT)

As part of a strategic effort to increase its presence in the region's premium original equipment (OE) market, Kumho Tire has confirmed its plans to establish its first tyre production facility in Europe by 2027.

The company has shortlisted Poland, Serbia and Portugal as possible locations for the plant, which is projected to need an investment of more than KRW1 trillion (USD 705 million). The decision is closely linked to Kumho’s ambition to strengthen its partnerships with European automakers and was revealed by Kumho Tire CEO during the South Korean premiere of Kumho's new Ecsta Sport tyre line.

Kumho has recently secured OE supply contracts with major brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen Group. At the moment, Kumho runs eight tyre production plants in China, Vietnam, South Korea and the US. Its capacity to compete in the premium OE market, however, has come to be perceived as being constrained by the absence of a European production base. Through the benefits of local production, the new facility will improve response to European client requests, save freight costs and shorten delivery times, all of which will strengthen the company's partnerships.

Sentury Tire USA has opened pre-enrolment for its two associate dealer programmes (ADPs), the Delinte HYPERDRIVE Associate Dealer Program and the Landsail Elyte Associate Dealer Program, underscoring the company’s commitment to rewarding dedication and partnership to the Landsail and Delinte brands.

The ADPs, which are customised for each brand and intended to encourage dealers, will formally start on 1 June 2025. Both programmes give dealers access to special benefits, incentives and strong tools to help them expand their businesses. This involves dependable customer service, effective marketing and worthwhile financial incentives to promote dealers' success at every stage.

Beginning in Q3, dealers may earn up to USD three per tyre through the Delinte HYPERDRIVE Associate Dealer Program. Dealers can receive retroactive benefits for purchases completed in Q2 if they register before 1 June. The awards are available for all Delinte PTR, LTR and the new DV3 LMD AS last-mile delivery tyres. For all Landsail PTR and LTR tyres, independent dealers that sign up for the Landsail Elyte Associate Dealer Program can also earn up to USD three per tyre. For customers who sign up by June 1, the new LMD 100 AS last-mile delivery is also eligible for the benefits and will get the same early bird incentive for Q2 2025.

No initial order is necessary. Dealers only need to register to begin making money. According to the monthly programme rewards structure, 48 tyre purchases each month are eligible for a reward of USD one per tyre, 120 tyres are eligible for a reward of USD two per tyre and 240 or more tyres are eligible for a reward of USD three per tyre.

ENSO, a London-based tyre manufacturer engaged in the production of sustainable tyres specially designed for electric vehicles (EVs), has launched its new ENSO Premium range of EV-specific ultra-high-performance (UHP) tyres aimed at drivers of high-performance EVs such as the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.

Specifically designed for electric passenger vehicles, the ENSO Premium range comes with A/A EU-label ratings for both energy efficiency and wet grip. The tyres are designed to provide safety, increased range and a reduced total cost of ownership. Conventional tyre designs frequently fall short of the special performance needs of electric vehicles, which include greater vehicle weight, regenerative braking and higher torque loads. By lowering tyre wear and rolling resistance, ENSO Premium takes care of these issues.

The company is an authorised provider of replacement tyres for LEVC's electric taxis and has partnered with Uber to install its tyres in high-mileage metropolitan areas. The company now plans to grow throughout Europe and North America, and with ENSO Premium, it is now offering its services to individual EV owners throughout the United Kingdom. According to ENSO, the range offers advantages including longer tyre life and fewer replacements, lower energy usage, fewer charging stops and lower CO₂ emissions and tyre particle pollution.

Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, CEO and Co-Founder, ENSO, said, “We’re plugging a long-standing gap in the tyre market by offering EV drivers a purpose-built, affordable, premium EV tyre alternative that matches the innovation of their EV.”

Kraton Corporation, a leading global sustainable producer of specialty polymers and high-value bio-based products derived from pine wood pulping co-products, has announced a general price hike in North America for its SBS, SIS and HSBC product lines with effect from 1 May 2025.

Following a careful analysis of the effects of recently implemented tariffs, related cost increases and a conclusion that the company cannot independently absorb these repercussions, Kraton is adopting these pricing hikes, according to a company statement. The company further said that it will keep an eye on the scene and reassess these measures promptly in the event that conditions and US import tariffs alter.