Kumho’s ground-breaking ‘Smasher’ and ‘Sealant’ tyres have been honoured with 2016 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). With the world’s top three design accolades behind it – the Red Dot (Germany), iF International Forum Design (Germany) and IDEA (United States) – Kumho’s design and technological capabilities have now been recognised by the industry as a whole.
The prestigious IDEA competition is co-sponsored by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and Businessweek magazine. By triumphing with ‘Smasher’ – a futuristic concept tyre equipped with ultra-innovative technologies – and ‘Sealant’ – a product already on sale in some markets – Kumho has confirmed its ability to simultaneously encompass both the future and present of tyre design.
The ‘Smasher’ was evolved in collaboration with the SsangYong Motor Company and attracted significant attention when unveiled on the Tivoli at the 2015 IAA Motorshow. The tyre is optimised for driving in extreme conditions, and features such innovations as suction plates and grinder-shaped tread blocks. The former enable the vehicle to ascend steep slopes by creating a vacuum between the tyre and the ground, while the latter permit safe driving over even the roughest terrain by crushing uneven areas that could otherwise damage a tyre.
As the name suggests, the ‘Sealant’ tyre automatically seals itself when penetrated by debris, thereby preventing loss of air pressure. The IDEA award is the latest accolade for this product, that has already been bestowed with the Red Dot, Good Design (Japan) and Good Design (Korea) awards.
“We are very proud to now have the top three international design awards under our belt,” said Chung Taek-Gyun, Executive Vice President at Kumho Tire and Head of R&D Division, “and will continue to build our capabilities in all areas of tyre technology, including design, in order to open a new chapter for the global tyre industry.”
Last month, Kumho won two prizes at the Green Good Design Awards 2016 held in the United States. They were for the ‘Eco Sense SE11’ and the ‘WATTRUN VS31’ – tyres specifically designed for environment-friendly and electric vehicles that have already reached the market in Japan and North America, respectively. This is the second consecutive year Kumho has received a Green Good Design award – further recognition of its contribution to sustainability, innovation and the future environment.
For further information on Kumho products for road and track see www.kumhotyre.co.uk
About Kumho Tyre
Founded in 1960, the Kumho Tire Company based in Seoul, South Korea is currently one of the world’s leading tyre manufacturers with revenues in excess of two billion US dollars. Each year, the company sells over 60 million tyres worldwide. The company is part of the long-established Kumho Asiana Group, one of Korea’s best known and largest companies, which also owns Asiana Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance.
With over 10,000 employees worldwide, Kumho develops, manufactures and primarily markets tyres for passenger cars, vans and trucks. Kumho operates production facilities in Korea, China and Vietnam. The company also maintains research and development centres in Korea, China, Europe and North America. Kumho is an original equipment supplier to car manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and the Korean manufacturers Hyundai and Kia. Kumho Tire Europe GmbH with its head office in Offenbach am Main is responsible for marketing and sales activities in Germany and Europe.