Hankook tyres has just landed another OE contract with BMW, this time to supply for the new 3-Series.

The South Korean tyres manufacturer will equip the best-selling model with its high-performance Ventus S1 evo² tyres.

Following on from the MINI and the new 1-Series, the brand-new 3-Series is the third model by BMW Group to be fitted with Hankook tyres - another important milestone on the global expansion course set by the tyre manufacturer in the premium segment.

Hyun Shick Cho, President & Chief Marketing Officer at Hankook, said: “Supplying Original Equipment for one of the best-selling, key models in the BMW range is proof of trust and motivation.

“We are pleased about the further intensified cooperation with BMW. With our new high-end product Ventus S1 evo² we have developed a tyre that convinced the critical BMW engineers, with regard to driving dynamics and comfort as well as wet grip and rolling resistance, during the intensive selection process.”

Hankook’s high-end tyre Ventus S1 evo² was introduced to the market in spring 2012. Even during the trial phase the tyre stood out, noted for its high level of driving comfort and low rolling resistance combined with its distinctively dynamic driving characteristics.

Denna Bowman

By Denna Bowman

Motorists can save money at the pumps by switching to fuel-efficient tyres, according to tests by Which?

With fuel prices at a record high, the Which? report reveals that ‘eco’ tyres could help drivers save 6 per cent by enabling vehicles acheive more miles per gallon (mpg).

According to the Which? report: “In our latest tyre tests, one of the sizes we assessed was 205/55 R16V - one of the UK’s most widely fitted tyre sizes.

“The tyres which came top for fuel economy were the Pirelli Cinturato P7s and the Hankook Kinergy Eco K425, which both beat big names like the Continental PremiumContact 5, Goodyear OptiGrip and Bridgestone Turanza T001 for rolling resistance.

“In fact, fitted to a car returning 40mpg, either the Pirelli or the Hankook would give you an extra 2.4mpg (around 6%) compared with the worst tyre in our test for rolling resistance, the Nexen N8000. That equates to around £50 a year at today’s record fuel prices.”

To find out more go to http://www.which.co.uk/news/2012/04/eco-tyres-are-the-key-to-saving-fuel-282614/#ixzz1r4csPEIQ

By Alex Kapadia

Hankook is ramping up its racing sponsorship with a deal which makes it the exclusive tyres supplier for the new Swedish TTA - Racing Elite League.

The Korean company’s racing tyres are perhaps best known through their use in the DTM series, which Hankook began supplying last year.

Hee-Se Ahn, Vice President for Marketing & Sales for Hankook in Europe, announced: “We are truly excited about our new partnership with the TTA. With this partnership we are taking a significant next step in our European motorsports engagement as it is the first time we are the exclusive tyre supplier to a racing series in the Scandic markets.

“TTA’s approach to motorsport of constant refinement of their cars with innovative materials and designs is the type of racing that perfectly matches our company motto ‘Driving Emotion’.”

The TTA has begun using Hankook tyres with the prototype car during autumn and winter testing in Sweden and France.

Jan “Flash” Nilsson, TTA representative and driver of Flash Engineering, added: “We are proud to start a cooperation with Hankook and we understand why DTM chose them as tyre supplier.

“They have produced an amazing racing tyre, that enables us to push hard in long races with a high level of grip, opening up for more overtaking.

“It is impressive and it is going to be great racing with them in the TTA Racing Elite League 2012.”

The TTA has already gained experience with Hankook tyres; the new TTA prototype car was fitted with the Korean tyre maker’s competition slicks during successful pre-season test sessions.

Apparently, tyres are a hot item on Christmas present wish-lists for motorists this year.

According to a recent survey by Hankook, 84 percent of survey respondents would not mind receiving tyres as a gift and 35 percent would actually “love it.”

Every quarter Hankook Tire America Corp surveys 1,000 people on their attitudes and opinions about all things related to tyres and driving. The winter installment of the survey, conducted the week of November 21st, probed consumer attitudes about winter driving, along with what is on their minds as they set out for holiday shopping and travel.

Not surprisingly, 82 percent of consumers who will drive in icy and snowy conditions this winter are concerned about winter driving, with 63 percent most concerned about skidding on icy roadways, the survey concluded. But only 8 percent said they are driving with winter tyres on their vehicles.

A new set of tyres for Christmas would be helpful for about 40 percent of the survey respondents who plan to take at least one holiday road trip—and of those, nearly half plan on driving over 500 miles to reach their destination. About 69 percent said they checked their tyre pressure in the past month.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

Hankook is set to present its latest tyres along with its cutting-edge solutions for the current trends and challenges in the industry at a leading motor show later this month.

The south Korean tyres manufacturer, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, will be exhibiting at the International Automobile Exhibition in Frankfurt from 13th to 25th September.

“Driving Emotion” is the theme of the event and Hankook will showcase world premieres in the fields of Premium and Eco-Performance as well as aerodynamic tyres and present, among other highlights.

Its focus theme for the event will be theme ‘electro mobility’.

Motorsport shall also take centre stage at the Hankook stand as it continues to be the exclusive tyre supplier to the most popular worldwide touring car series, the DTM.

Its partnership with the DTM has proved to be a successful season so far as with its tyres proving their capabilities and performing well for the series premium automobile manufacturers Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and as of 2012, BMW.

Hankook has got the bit between its teeth when it comes to ensuring owners of horseboxes and trailers make sure their tyres are safe and legal.

After the tyres manufacturers recent partnership with the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead earlier this month it has revealed some worrying concerns over the tyre maintenance of these vehicles.

According to the company, last year alone tyre failures accounted for approximately 30 per cent of all horsebox breakdowns at the roadside, many of which could probably have been avoided. I

No in an effort to raise standards of tyre maintenance amongst the horse riding community, Hankook has published the following advice:

Inspect your tyres: Before setting off on any journey make sure you inspect your tyres for any damage and wear such as cuts, bulges and cracks.

Maintaining the correct tyre pressure: Ensure you regularly check your tyre pressures as this can cause irregular wear, reduced grip to the road, heavy steering and increased fuel consumption. It is advisable that you check your tyre pressures weekly or before you embark on a long journey. Make sure you do this when your tyres are cold so you receive an accurate reading. You can find the correct tyre pressure in the manufacturers log book or by visiting your local tyre dealer who can provide you with advice accordingly. It is also worth noting that trailer tyres often require an increased tyre pressure than that of a lorry or car.

Tyre tread: The deeper the tread the more grip you have to the road. For vehicles and trailers up to 3500kg (gross vehicle weight) the legal limit for minimum depth of the tread on your tyres is 1.6mm across the central ¾ of the tyre width. For all vehicles above this weight including horseboxes the minimum tread depth is 1mm. It is however recommended that you replace them before they reach this stage of wear as the performance of the tyre will be reduced significantly.

Spare tyre: Often, one of the main problems can be found with the poor maintenance of the spare tyre. Usually this is placed hidden away and can deteriorate becoming useless when it is called upon for use. Having a well maintained spare tyre can help to avoid unnecessary waiting at the roadside as those without must then quickly locate an appropriate tyre.

Overloading: Your tyres bear the whole weight of both your vehicle and its load. It is very important to ensure that you are not overloading your vehicle or trailer and that you are distributing the load evenly. Overloading has the same effect on your tyres as under inflation, causing rapid wear of the tyre and increased fuel consumption.

With the football season about to kick off, Hankook has announced it is the latest tyres manufacturer to team up with a Premiership football team to raise its brand profile.

The South Korean tyres manufacturer has just announced plans to add sponsorship deals with football teams in the UK, France and Sweden to its 2011/2012 marketing strategy.

Hankook will have prominent advertising displays at the “Stadium of Light”, home of the Sunderland AFC.

According to the company, football sponsorship and advertising activities in Europe secure Hankook’s visibility in a premium sporting environment that “perfectly matches the emotionalism and dynamic of the tyre manufacturer’s sporty young brand.”

Hee-Se Ahn, vice president marketing and sales Hankook Tire Europe, “Our football engagement is an important part of our marketing communications, particularly with the living, breathing emotionality of this sport in mind which perfectly matches our company’s philosophy “Driving Emotion”.

“Football is one of the most popular sports in Europe and is exceptionally well suited to effectively reach out to our important target groups and increase our brand awareness. With this we are also aiming to support our retail partners.”

Jin-Wook Choi, Hankook Tire Executive Vice President and chief operation officer for Hankook Tire Europe, added: “Hankook has seen a steady and sustainable growth over the past couple of years, especially in the European markets.

“We are taking that into account not only by expanding our production capacities, for example the considerable expansion of our high-end European manufacturing-site, but also with a significant intensification of our marketing activities especially in our European key markets.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

Hankook tyres announced record-breaking second quarter sales on the back of high-profile motorsport sponsorship and ‘increased recognition’ of the quality of its tyres, especially in the ultra high performance market.

Global sales reached £917 million, a rise of 21 per cent year-on-year and the company’s best ever quarter, according to a report in Tyres and Accessories.

Hankook experienced the greatest growth in the emerging Russian market, where Hankook nearly doubled its sales. In other major territories, sales grew by between a third and a half, with European figures up an impressive 49.8 per cent.

The South Korean tyre manufacturer said its figures demonstrate the “increased recognition” of the quality of its tyres, as the ultra high performance segment outstripped total sales growth in its major markets, most notably in Europe, where the Korean manufacturer sold 89.6 per cent more UHP tyres year on year.

Seung Hwa Suh, Vice Chairman & CEO of Hankook Tire, said: “Hankook Tire continues to achieve a surge in sales in the second quarter, overcoming the various challenges in the current tyre market. Such accomplishments were possible through the global customers’ trust in Hankook’s quality products fulfilled by ongoing R&D efforts. We look forward to building a stronger momentum to become one of the global leading tyre companies in the near future, through continuous focus on enhancing Hankook’s brand value and increasing customer satisfaction.”

Hankook stated that “positive events including the company’s 70th anniversary, new plant investments, and the company’s DTM sponsorship” gave it the momentum to set new sales records in 2011.

“This was also driven by its diversification of markets as well as ongoing efforts to improve productivity and develop new products,” the company’s statement continued.

“Upgraded brand value helped achieve excellent business performance both in the emerging and developed markets. One of the emerging markets Russia had a drastic increase with 96.6 per cent sales growth from last year’s second quarter. Continuous growth was also achieved in Europe, North America, and the Asia Pacific regions, marking 49.8, 36.0, and 43.7 per cent YoY increases respectively.”

Hankook has been announced as an Associate Sponsor of the 2012 Motoring Oscar’s - the What Car? Car of the Year Awards.

The South Korean tyres manufacturer is also to lined up to sponsor the Ultra Low Carbon Award Category.

Andrew Golby, publishing director of What Car?, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Hankook as a partner of the What Car? Awards.

“Like us, they recognise the increasing importance of low-carbon vehicles, and our readers feel the same way. Car buyers are placing an increasing priority upon energy-efficient technologies, and look to What Car? for guidance. The ultra-low-carbon category is an accolade that every manufacturer will be keen to win, and we look forward to announcing the result of our judging next January.”

Tony Lee, Managing Director Hankook UK, added: “Hankook are pleased to become Associate Sponsor of the What Car? 2012 awards, and to also sponsor the Ultra-Low-Carbon category which is very much in line with the launch of our new Kinergy Eco tyre range.

“Looking after the environment and reducing our CO2 footprint are becoming an increasing concern for today’s consumer.

“The Kinergy Eco tyre combines the very latest materials, like silica nanoparticles, which are not commonplace in this segment, and cutting-edge compound technologies. This has allowed Hankook to reduce the rolling resistance of the Kinergy Eco by 12 percent. The energy savings is reflected in lower fuel consumption, thereby contributing to an improved overall CO2 footprint.”

The benefits of the sponsorship agreement includes the alignment with the most authoritative and trusted brand in motoring, brand positioning and awareness to an audience of key influencers and decision makers from the motoring industry.

The What Car? Car of the Year Awards are acknowledged by many as the UK Motoring Oscars. It is the automotive industry’s best known and most influential awards ceremony and the event is coveted by car makers both in the UK and overseas.

The What Car? awards issue is a key influencer for consumers in their car buying decision making process and is the brands best selling issue and driver of website traffic.

The event is to be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane in London on the 11th January with top class entertainment yet to be announced. Previous headline acts have included Jonathan Ross, Jimmy Carr, Al Murray and Jo Brand.

Hankook tyres has just launched a new micro site and YouTube page dedicated to its ever-increasing motorsport activities and engagements.

The action-packed website runs reports and info on the various championships sponsored by the tyres manufacturer, including the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters), LeMans, VLN, Super GT, Formula D, Time Attack Series and CRC (China Rally Championship).

It’s also packed with photos and videos, plus downloadable wallpaper images.

The “Hankook Competition” microsite is located at hankooktiremotorsports.com or alternatively can be found by clicking the ‘motorsport’ link on the company’s main homepage.

The exciting new YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/HankookEUHQ) also runs films and short documentaries about the various racing series it sponsored.

The YouTube page also offers fans the opportunity to interact with the tyre manufacturer and other motorsport enthusiasts directly as all videos can be publicly commented upon.

He-See Ahn, vice president of marketing and sales at Hankook Tire Europe, said: “We have significantly expanded our motorsport engagement in 2011.

“Since the beginning of the year, we are the exclusive tyre provider to the DTM and have successfully completed the first couple of races. Hankook wants to share these experiences with our fans and give them the opportunity to be a part of it.”

“The YouTube channel and our new microsite open up new opportunities to get in touch with our customers. We feel this is a great opportunity for us and we plan to make more use of it moving forward.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office