Hankook Tire to equip 2021 Honda VEZEL Hybrid with Kinergy Eco²

- Hankook expands original equipment supply partnership with Honda for the new Honda VEZEL hybrid
- Hankook’s eco-friendly tire, Kinergy Eco², offers optimal fuel efficiency without compromising driving performance

Seoul, Korea, June 9, 2021 – Global leading tire company Hankook Tire will equip 2021 Honda VEZEL hybrid for the Japanese market with its Kinergy Eco² ex works.

A blend of optimal efficiency and performance, Kinergy Eco² is a tire that has been designed with both the environment and driving comfort in mind. This eco-friendly tire focuses on lower fuel consumption and less tread wear while offering high driving performance. The new Honda VEZEL hybrid for the Japanese market will come fitted with Hankook’s Kinergy Eco² in the size 215/60R16 (95H) to help drivers enjoy the new environmentally-friendly SUV to the fullest.

2021 Honda VEZEL is a compact crossover SUV with a lightweight yet rigid body structure. Under the concept of ‘AMP UP YOUR LIFE’, it aims to enhance the quality of daily life by offering practical convenience and valuable experience to all drivers who love outdoor activities and new adventures. It is spacious without being bulky thanks to the wider space it offers to a driver and passengers compared to typical compact SUV models. It also allows a driver to secure a wide angle view keeping driving safe and fun and boasts enhanced driving dynamics that enable comfortable driving. Moreover, it’s the first Honda model released in Japan that features Hill Descent Control system which prevents the vehicle rolling backward or forward while driving on slopes.

Hankook Tire Kinergy Eco² is designed to provide the best mileage with high driving performance through the latest compound boasting optimized crosslinking density that results in a much more enhanced wear performance. Compound optimization on Kinergy Eco² also enables quiet and comfortable ride with reduced road noise. In the meantime, Kinergy Eco² is a collection of new technologies for wet performance. Wide lateral shoulder grooves incorporated into the internal blocks, aqua-edge technology, optimum chamfers and increased center block stiffness improves wet braking and resolves hydroplaning.

Moonhwa Hong, Vice President of OE Development Department says, “We are excited to be selected as the OE supplier for the new Honda VEZEL hybrid, an eco-friendly choice for consumers worldwide. This further-stretched partnership with Honda is a testament to Honda’s trust in Hankook’s cutting edge technology and commitment to high quality.”

“The Kinergy Eco² stands as the perfect combination of compound, construction and profile to fit environmentally friendly vehicles. It’s great to be recognized for the breakthrough we’ve achieved with the innovative compound and profile to satisfy customer needs for both fuel-saving and best performance,” explains Jeongho Park, Executive Vice President and Director of OE Division.

Hankook Tire is solidifying its position as a high quality premium tire manufacturer through successfully through expanding an OE portfolio worldwide. Hankook Tire will continue to be committed through various innovations and the latest tire technology to provide maximum driving experience for customers.