Kumho Tire sweeps world's four major design awards

'Global design competitiveness proven'

Kumho Tire's all-season tire, the Ecsta Sport A/S [Kumho Tire]
Kumho Tire's all-season tire, the Ecsta Sport A/S [Kumho Tire]

Kumho Tire announced Wednesday that its Ecsta Sport A/S tire has won a main prize at Japan's Good Design Award 2026.

The Good Design Award is an international design competition organized by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion since 1957. Widely recognized for its long history and credibility, it is considered one of the world's four major design awards alongside Germany's iF and Red Dot awards and the United States' IDEA award. With this latest win, Kumho Tire has swept all four of the world's top design awards this year.

The winning product, the Ecsta Sport A/S, is an all-season ultra-high-performance tire designed with both internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles in mind. Its tread pattern features a longitudinal groove and ridge design to reduce road noise, while an extended lateral groove design on the shoulder blocks improves drainage on wet surfaces.

A dynamic racing flag graphic pattern on the sidewall and shoulder emphasizes the product's high-performance character, and hologram graphics add a distinctive visual effect.

Kim Young-jin, executive vice president and head of Kumho Tire's research and development division, said sweeping the world's four major design awards was "a meaningful achievement that has earned global recognition for the design capabilities Kumho Tire has built up over the years." He added that the company would "continue to enhance brand value in the global market through innovative technology and differentiated design."

Meanwhile, Kumho Tire has been expanding its customer brand touchpoints through a range of marketing activities, including the recent release of the final installment of "Kumho Tire Net!Guide," a brand campaign produced in collaboration with global entertainment service Netflix.


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