Kumho Tires

South Korea’s Kumho Tires has set their sights on the OE business and it seems that they have started to achiever their objective. Kumho’s improving standing in the global market was significantly raised by the recent announcement from DaimlerChrysler that their cars will be sporting Kumho tires. Both the Mercedes Benz A-Class and the Chrysler Sebring will be fitted with high quality Kumho tires. The decision on the part of DaimlerChrysler to fit their vehicles with Kumho tires was arrived at after Kumho was able to meet DaimlerChrysler’s technical and quality criteria when it comes to such critical parts of a vehicle.

The announcement from the carmaker made Kumho the first Korean tire manufacturer to supply the renowned brand that is the Mercedes Benz. they will supply the SOLUS KH15 in size 185/65R15 for the Mercedes Benz A-Class which will be manufactured at DaimlerChrysler’s assembly plant in Rastatt. The tires from Kumho will bear the MO symbol which means that they are approved fitment for Mercedes Benz cars.

The tires are developed mainly by Kumho’s technical center which is based in Birmingham, UK. The developers of the tires aimed to give the tires the ability to maintain its optimum level of performance on any weather condition. The tires also are designed to have low rolling resistance and provide ride refinement. The tires are developed specially for the A-Class and they were made with new tread compounds and casing materials to ensure that it will provide the best possible performance which will complement the car’s performance. After all, Mercedes Benz cars are known for the luxury and comfort that they offer to consumers.

This development is a huge boost on the part of Kumho in their quest to make their brand more competitive globally. This will also boost their confidence in the global original equipment business. This might be the start of a new era since the development opens up an area for them where they have never been before.

Kumho will also be supplying tires to Chrysler. they have already started to supply the third largest US automobile manufacturer with original equipment tires. The Chrysler Sebring will be fitted with ECSTA KH11, asymmetric UHP (Ultra High Performance) in size of 215/55R18. These tires will provide the Sebring with exceptional steering performance, as exceptional as the performance of a Volvo valve cover gasket. The tire also produces less noise which makes it suitable for high performance cars. The said tires already received much recognition after it placed third in the tire check conducted by AUTO EXPRESS, a famous British automobile journal.

A statement made by Kumho after they are selected to outfit the Sebring with high performance tires says: “Kumho Tires has been selected as original equipment tire supplier to Chrysler as it's secured a lovely market share in the UHP replacement market in the US and got lovely a lovely score in terms of technological capability and quality”.

The deal made by Kumho Tires with the DaimlerChrysler AG may be the start of more automobile manufacturers using Kumho tires for their vehicle. Kumho Tires has yet a long way to go to but they have made the crucial first step.

"We are delighted that they have been awarded this contract by DaimlerChrysler and look forward to continuing to develop high quality tires for two of the world's finest automobile manufacturers,” says H.S. Lee President of Kumho Tire Europe GmbH. "We intend to focus increasingly on the growth of our OE business in the future. This contract is bound to make an important contribution to the strength of the Kumho brand in the global market and will boost recognition of the quality and technological capability of our products,” Lee added.