Press Release

  • Corporate

Hankook Tire wins iF Design Award 2019

Tyre maker Hankook recently received the international iF Design Award 2019 for their two futuristic concept tyres “Hexonic” and “HLS-23”. They were honoured in the “Professional Concept” category. In addition, the all-season tyre Kinergy 4S 2 won the prize in the “Product” category. The official awards ceremony will take place in Munich on 15th March.
Hankook Tire wins iF Design Award 2019

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 14th February 2019 – Premium tyre maker Hankook was among the prize-winners at the renowned “iF Design Award 2019” in the “Professional Concept” and “Product” categories in February. The three winning tyres were the Hexonic and HLS-23 as well as the Kinergy 4S 2, a new all-season passenger car tyre. The two concept tyres, Hexonic and HLS-23 were designed in conjunction with students from the London Royal College of Art (RCA) within the context of the “Design Innovation” research and development project and have already been showcased at several international trade fairs. Over the past ten years, Hankook has now received the iF Design Award no fewer than 20 times.

The two concept tyres are models tuned to autonomous driving. The Hexonic is a tyre for completely autonomous car-sharing vehicles and guarantees enhanced driving comfort. Built-in scanners analyse the road in real time using seven separate sensors on the tyre profile. Conditions such as grip, temperature and road surface are detected and the tyre treads adapted accordingly. The HLS-23 was developed for automated logistics systems and the tyres use sensors to mutually monitor their position between the vehicles and maintain a constant distance apart. In addition, the tyre ensures a reliable driving performance and thus contributes to problem-free automatic goods deliveries.

The symmetrical V-shaped profile of the all-season tyre Kinergy 4S 2 drains water effectively from the tyre surface. The detail elements inspired by a ski pole disc and a water wheel also stabilise the driving performance. Two different summer and winter sipes were used in the design to guarantee both braking performance on snowy roads and good handling on dry roads.

As Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Krause, head of the Hankook European Development Centre in Hanover, says, “We are delighted to receive the iF Design Award for the Kinergy 4S 2. The objective was to design a tyre that is practical and attractive at the same time. We are very proud to have received one of the most renowned design prizes in the world for our work.”

The iF Design Award is presented by the International Forum Design and was launched in 1953. It is one of the three most renowned international prizes, ranking alongside the Reddot Design Award and the International Design Excellence Award (IDEA). The contributions are evaluated on the basis of ten criteria including innovation and draft, functionality, aesthetics, responsibility and positioning. This year, around 6,400 contributions were submitted from 50 countries.

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

all press releases

Downloads

Hankook Tire wins iF Design Award 2019

Hankook was among the prize-winners at the renowned “iF Design Award 2019” in the “Professional Concept” and “Product” categories in February. The three winning tyres were the Hexonic and HLS-23 as well as the Kinergy 4S 2, a new all-season passenger car tyre.

File size: 979 KB

Contacts

Sabine Riedel

PR Manager Marketing Communications

 +49 (0) 6102 8149-178

Sabine Riedel

PR Manager Marketing Communications

 +49 (0) 6102 8149-178

Lisa Schmid

PR Manager Marketing Communications

+49 (0) 6102 8149-172

Alexander Nevinny-Stickel

PR Manager Marketing Communications

+49 (0) 6102 8149-173

Annika Malcherek

Annika Malcherek

Digital Lead Marketing Communications

+49 (0) 6102 8149-176

Stefan Prohaska

Stefan Prohaska

Digital Marketing Communications

 +49 (0) 6102 8149-171

Subscribe to the Hankook press releases