Hankook Tire & Technology, the world‘s sixth-largest tiremaker by sales, has spent time and resources in research and development of high performance tires in order to sharpen its competitive edge over global rivals.

That investment seems to have paid off, as the firm has landed a series of original equipment tire supply deals for some of the finest cars in the world.

According to the Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province-based firm, Hankook’s tires have been chosen for the most advanced models of leading luxury car brands, such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

Its high-performance “Ventus S1 Evo 3 SUV“ and “Winter Icept Evo 2” tires are mounted on Audi’s most advanced SUV, RS Q8.

The highest model in the Audi’s high-performance sports utility vehicle lineup, RS Q8 boasts a maximum output of 600 horsepower. To be selected for it, a tire must pass a driving test at the Nurburgring Nordschleife racing track in Germany, one of the worlds’ toughest and most famous circuits.

Hankook has been supplying original equipment tires (OET) to Audi’s other prominent, high-performance models such as RS 7 Sportback sedan, RS6 Avante wagon, the RS5 Coupe, and SQ8 TDI.

Such OET deals are a recognition of the technological superiority of Hankook tires, the company said.

IT is not just Audi that recognized the quality of Hankook tires. Other leading carmakers such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche are also buying from the Korean firm.

Hankook tires are mounted on Mercedes-Benz’s premium SUV GLC and GLC Coupe, BMW’s flagship sedan 7 series and M4 GT4 racing cars as well as the Mini John Cooper Works GP3 limited to only 3,000 vehicles.

Hankook Tire has been strengthening partnerships with Porsche, supplying tires for the all-electric Taycan, Macan SUVs as well as third-generation Cayenne SUVs.

Hankook Tire aim to continue investing in R&D to cement its premium image and technological prowess, operating research centers in four foreign countries, the US, Germany, China and Japan, on top of the massive Hankook Technodome in Korea.

By Korea Herald staff (khnews@heraldcorp.com)