Hankook supplies tires for the Volkswagen Tiguan

Hankook began equipping the Volkswagen Tiguan with new Hankook Ventus evo SUV tires, which are supplied for the compact crossover of the third generation in five sizes with a diameter of 18-20 inches, the company reported, adding that during the development of 18- and 19-inch tires, the main attention was paid to improving comfort, while the 20-inch version has a more sporty character. All tires have received the "+" marking, indicating that they were created for Volkswagen, and will be available, including from dealers in the secondary market.

"Close cooperation with Volkswagen during the development of tires for the new Tiguan has fully justified itself," said Klaus Krause, head of the European technical center of Hankook. "We have achieved optimal characteristics of all tire sizes and will be able to contribute to the improvement of the driving qualities of the popular Volkswagen model."

The tires for the Tiguan were developed over two years, and the engineers were tasked with combining good driving properties with reduced noise. As a result, the modified tread pattern and rubber compound reduced the noise to less than 66 dB, which was even lower than the specifications defined by Volkswagen. The Opti Pitch technology was used, i.e., the size and arrangement of the blocks were created to reduce noise, while the number of sipes in the inner and outer zones of the tread was optimized to improve handling in turns and, again, to reduce noise (Dual Pitch technology). In addition, the tread depth was changed to reduce noise without compromising traction and braking performance, lateral stability, and resource, the company adds.

For the Tiguan R-Line version, more sporty tires are offered, which improve the dynamic qualities of the car, and 20-inch tires are available with a special compound that was tested at the "Nurburgring". At the same time, since the Tiguan is also offered with a hybrid powertrain, the developers of Hankook made every effort to minimize the rolling resistance of the tires. The new Hankook Ventus evo SUV is produced exclusively at the plant in Rácalmás (Hungary).

The tires will be installed on the Tiguan worldwide in the following sizes: 235/55 R18, 235/50 R19, 255/45 R19, 235/45 R20 and 255/40 R20.