Review of Hankook Winter i*cept evo4 winter tyres
In 2026, Hankook will launch a new studless winter tyre, the Hankook Winter i*cept evo4, designed for mild winters. This model will be a global product, available in all regions where tyres of this class are in demand, including Europe, South Korea, North America, and Russia—helping the company further strengthen its brand’s premium positioning. The new model replaces the Winter i*cept evo3 (model index changed from W330 to W340), which was introduced in 2020. While the directional tread pattern has been retained, the design has been significantly updated: the central block elements shaped like seagull wings have been eliminated, and the number of sipes has been increased to enhance snow traction.
Since the Winter i*cept evo4 belongs to the European-type winter tyre category, improving snow performance was a top priority. For this reason, the width of the transverse grooves has been increased by 2% compared to the evo3, enhancing traction and overall controllability on snow-covered roads.
Additional straight "semi-sipes" have been added to the shoulder and intermediate blocks, aimed at further improving snow grip. Hankook states that this design enhances stability during acceleration, braking, and maneuvering.
All tread blocks also feature sipes positioned at varying angles and serving different functions: cuts in the central and shoulder zones improve cornering stability, while those in the intermediate sections enhance longitudinal grip, improving acceleration efficiency and reducing braking distances. As a result, traction and cornering control on snow have improved by 11% and 4% respectively compared to the previous-generation tyre.
Wet asphalt grip is also critically important in this segment. For the new tyres, Hankook developed an improved rubber compound called Balance Grip Compound, featuring enhanced silica dispersion and temperature adaptability, designed to deliver a balanced performance in terms of energy efficiency, wet grip, and snow traction. Additionally, the V-shaped tread pattern helps quickly evacuate water from the contact patch, reducing the risk of aquaplaning. At the same time, braking performance on wet roads has improved by 4%.
To improve fuel efficiency, engineers also focused on the vulcanization process. The goal was to prevent potential over-vulcanization of the sidewalls and bead areas, which can degrade rubber properties. Uniform vulcanization across all tyre components has reduced rolling resistance, improving the energy efficiency rating from C to B. The new Hankook tyres also offer improved durability (by 15%), achieved through an increased road contact area and more even load distribution.
The tread pattern has also been refined to enhance ride comfort: tread blocks feature beveled triangular edges, which help reduce noise generated during hard braking or sharp maneuvers.
The placement of the central grooves has been optimized to dissipate noise more quickly, further enhancing acoustic comfort.
Compared to the previous-generation tyres, snow traction has improved most significantly. However, simultaneously enhancing all performance parameters is extremely challenging, and in the case of the Winter i*cept evo4, braking performance on dry asphalt has slightly decreased.
The Hankook Winter i*cept evo4 will be available in sizes with rim diameters ranging from 17 to 21 inches. A version for SUVs, the Winter i*cept evo4 SUV (model index W340A), has also been launched and is available in sizes from 17 to 22 inches.