Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 1st October 2025 – Hankook has secured a top five ranking in two tyre tests. The ADAC rated the Winter i*cept evo 3 one of the top five tyres for the cold season. In the Auto Bild test for all-season tyres of the same size, the Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 was the only candidate to perform well in all disciplines, earning itself an “exemplary” rating.
ADAC puts 31 winter tyres to the test
Europe’s largest automobile association compared 31 rival models from the “budget”, “quality” and “premium” segments in the size 225/40 R18 – more than in any other test before. The comparison revealed clear differences in quality and safety. This became particularly obvious in the test for braking distance from 50 mph to a stop in wet conditions. The Winter i*cept evo 3 was among the premium winter tyre line-up, coming to a standstill in less than 33 metres compared to the last candidate in the rankings at 47 metres.
With an overall score of 2.4, the Hankook tyre received the ranking “good” (no tyre was awarded “very good”), which is made up of several categories including safe handling and ecological footprint in the weighting 70:30. In the discipline with the highest weighting – safe handling in wet road conditions, accounting for 40 per cent of the category – the Winter i*cept evo 3 achieved a score of 2.3, the same as in dry road conditions.
It also achieved an excellent result for mileage with the highest individual weighting ranking in the ecological footprint discipline with a mark of 1.1. Hankook also scored well in the comparison for tyre wear (score 1.7) and efficiency (score 2.0). Conclusion of the ADAC testers: The Hankook Winter i*cept evo 3 “offers a very high predicted mileage and exhibits minimal wear. Its efficiency is also impressive, thanks to low weight and fuel consumption.”
Auto Bild all-season tyre test: performance examination on snow as well as in wet and dry road conditions
Auto Bild put a total of 30 all-season tyres through their paces in a detailed practical test. Only 15 made it through to the grand finale, after the remaining candidates were ruled out of contention in the preliminary round due to their excessive braking distances. The Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 took a commanding position in the final selection, mainly due to its balanced characteristics: it was the only one of the finalists to perform well in all the individual categories, achieving the score “good”.
The Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 sailed through both the braking and handling tests on snow as well as in wet and dry road conditions. It also performed convincingly on snow in the traction and slalom tests, in the wet in the aquaplaning test, and in the additional circular track test. In terms of cost performance, the Hankook all-season tyre also ranked highly in the three categories of mileage, price and price/mileage. This made it only one of five tyres to receive the rating “exemplary” with an overall score of 1.5. Auto Bild’s verdict? “An all-rounder with an excellent price/performance ratio that delivers a happy balance on all surfaces”.
