Press Release

  • Car / SUV

New premium original fitment options with Hankook Ventus S1 evo² SUV or winter i*cept evo² SUV

The current generation of the BMW X3 has been on the market since November 2017 and is available with tyre options including Hankook summer tyres in the size 225/60 R18 104 W XL or Hankook winter tyres in 225/60 R18 104 H XL. With more than 1.5 million vehicles sold world-wide since the BMW X3 was launched in 2003, the model is one of the most popular in its class. The premium Hankook Ventus S1 evo² SUV and winter i*cept evo² SUV tyres contribute towards the brand-typical driving dynamics and agile handling of the new BMW X3. The passenger car version of these tyres has already proven itself as an original fitment tyre on the flagship BMW 7 Series among others.
New premium original fitment options with Hankook Ventus S1 evo² SUV or winter i*cept evo² SUV

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 30th of May 2018 Hankook wins another original fitment order covering both summer and winter tyres, this time for the current BMW X3. This year for the first time, 25 percent of passenger car production will be for the popular SUV vehicle segment in Europe. Hankook supplies its Ultra High Performance (UHP) tyres in an SUV version especially for this product class. The BMW Group recognised the trend towards this versatile vehicle class early and was very successful with the predecessor models of the BMW X3. In terms of tyres for the third BMW X3 generation, the manufacturer favours the Hankook brand amongst others. The BMW X3 can be delivered with the Ventus S1 evo² SUV in size 225/60 R18 104 W XL and with Hankook’s winter i*cept evo² SUV in 225/60 R18 104 H XL for a dynamic sporty appearance.

With the summer tyre in particular, the BMW Group required Hankook’s engineers to develop a tyre that offers a high performance without compromising comfort, thus not only doing justice to the brand’s sporty reputation but also matching the comfortable yet agile character of the BMW X3.

To meet these requirements, the Ventus S1 evo² SUV with the star marking for the BMW X3 has been fitted with a specially adapted bead filler. This has been specifically designed for more sporty vehicles and offers the necessary rigidity to guarantee high steering precision that does justice to the vehicle’s driving dynamics and still gently cushions the increased weight of an SUV. To be able to cope with high temperatures the Ventus S1 evo² SUV is exposed to driving at approved speeds of up to 270km/h and the reinforced layers are made of a specially developed heat-resistant hybrid textile. The high rigidity of the lower sidewall also achieves particularly good handling characteristics.

The rolling resistance has been significantly reduced with the aid of a multi-layer tread structure. At the same time, the tread compound enhances wet grip, thus optimally supplementing the safety features of the BMW X3.

The tyres also offer a particularly low rolling noise to match the acoustic glazing of the windscreen fitted as standard. The innovative DTM inspired 3-layer block design, with its special staircase arrangement of the outer rib blocks, ensures an improved contact surface even as tyre wear progresses, thereby guaranteeing very good traction throughout the entire lifetime of the tyre.

“The fact that our summer and winter tyres are now being used as original equipment not only for the BMW 7 Series but also for the BMW X3 is a testament to the engineering performance of our tyre developers and proof of the high quality of our products,” said Tony Lee, Vice President Marketing & Sales at Hankook Tire Europe. “Hankook’s investment in its own winter testing ground “Technotrac” in Ivalo, Finland, which provides us with a very good basis for the development of winter tyres for original fitment as well, is certainly paying off on the European market, which is a very important market for us.”

Like the summer tyres, the winter i*cept evo² SUV with the star marking has been designed to provide optimum support for the driving dynamics of the BMW X3 even in wintry weather conditions. Development work focussed particularly on good track performance as well as on low rolling resistance. By minimising block movement and wear, 3D sipes applied to the entire tread area ensure additional driving stability as well as improving the general handling properties with the aid of maximised edge effects. A highly dispersible nano-silica compound is used, which prevents hardening of the tyre at low temperatures and thus ensures better grip on wintry and wet roads through greater elasticity of the tyre contact area, as shown by the short braking distances. The rolling noise is pleasantly quiet for a winter tyre, thus increasing driving comfort and reducing noise pollution for the environment.

Hankook Tire manufactures globally innovative, award-winning radial tyres of proven superior quality for passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs, RVs, trucks, and buses as well as motorsports (circuit racing/street circuits/rallies).

Aspiring to bring consumers the utmost excellence in product quality, technological excellence and driving satisfaction, Hankook Tire continuously invests in research and development maintaining five R&D centres and eight production facilities around the world. Bespoke tyre solutions for the European markets as well as European Original Equipment according to the requirements of leading premium car manufacturers, are developed in the company’s regional Technical Centre in Hanover/Germany. Production for the European region is taking place in the state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Rácalmás/Hungary which was inaugurated in June 2007 and is continuously being expanded.

Hankook Tire’s European headquarters are located in Neu-Isenburg near Frankfurt am Main in Germany. The manufacturer operates further branches in several European countries and sells its products through regional distributors in other local markets. Hankook Tire employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide and sells products in over 160 countries. The company has been the technical partner and exclusive tyre supplier of the Generation 3 for the FIA ABB Formula E World Championship since 2023. Internationally leading car manufacturers rely on tyres made by Hankook for their original equipment. Approximately 38 percent of the company's global sales are generated within the European region.

For more information please visit www.hankooktire-mediacenter.com or www.hankooktire.com

Hankook Tire Europe GmbH | Marketing Communications Europe | Siemensstr. 14, 63263 Neu-Isenburg | Germany

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New premium original fitment options with Hankook Ventus S1 evo² SUV or winter i*cept evo² SUV

Hankook Winter i*cept evo² SUV

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New premium original fitment options with Hankook Ventus S1 evo² SUV or winter i*cept evo² SUV

Hankook Winter i*cept evo² SUV

File size: 4 MB

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