Winter i*cept evo4 earns top rating

Tire dominates on dry roads and snow

Hankook Tire & Technology's winter performance tire, the Winter i*cept evo4, took first place in a comparative winter tire test by German automotive magazine Auto Bild. [Hankook Tire & Technology]
Hankook Tire & Technology's winter performance tire, the Winter i*cept evo4, took first place in a comparative winter tire test by German automotive magazine Auto Bild. [Hankook Tire & Technology]

Hankook Tire & Technology announced Friday that its winter performance tire, the Winter i*cept evo4, took first place in a comparative winter tire test conducted by German automotive magazine Auto Bild.

The test evaluated 10 winter tires in the 225/55 R18 size for SUVs and crossovers, mounted on a BMW X1. The Winter i*cept evo4 earned an overall rating of 1.3 points and a "Very Good" grade, beating all nine competing products from leading global brands.

The tire's strongest showing came in wet-surface performance, where it achieved top marks in straight-line and cornering aquaplaning evaluations, earning a rating of 1.2 points and a "Very Good" grade. It also recorded the highest average speed in dry-road handling tests while maintaining stable performance, and demonstrated reliable traction on snow.

The Winter i*cept evo4 uses a Balance Grip EMC designed to deliver strong grip across a range of surfaces, improving braking performance on wet roads. A V-shaped tread pattern rapidly channels water to both sides, effectively suppressing aquaplaning.

Snow and mileage performance have also been enhanced. Wider lateral grooves and sipes at varied angles provide 5 percent better grip and traction on snow compared with the previous model.

The Winter i*cept evo4 made its European debut in June and launched in South Korea in September. Hankook Tire is rolling out sales to major markets including North America as it accelerates its push into the global premium winter tire segment.

Meanwhile, Hankook Tire has been expanding its footprint in the electrification market, recently extending supply of its iON ST AS electric vehicle tire — fitted to Baidu's driverless robotaxi service Apollo Go — from four cities in China to 10.


likehyo85@heraldcorp.com