Hankook Tire & Technology announced on Friday that its winter performance tire, the Winter i*cept evo 4, clinched the top spot in a winter tire comparison test conducted by the renowned German automotive magazine Auto Bild.
The test, which featured ten winter tires in the 225/55 R18 size category designed for sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and crossover vehicles, was carried out using a BMW X1. Hankook’s Winter i*cept evo 4 emerged victorious, scoring an impressive 1.3 overall and earning a very good rating.
The tire particularly excelled in wet road performance. It achieved top marks in both straight-line and cornering hydroplaning evaluations, securing a score of 1.2 and an excellent rating. Moreover, it recorded the highest average speed in dry handling tests and demonstrated reliable performance on snow-covered surfaces.
Following its European market debut in June this year, the Winter i*cept evo 4 was introduced to the South Korean market in September. Hankook Tire aims to progressively expand its distribution to key markets, including North America, as part of its strategy to bolster its presence in the global premium winter tire segment.
In related financial news, Hankook Tire reported a consolidated operating profit of 559 billion KRW (approximately 421.7 million USD) for Q2 2026, representing a 58.1% year-over-year increase. During the same period, the company’s sales climbed by 5.8% to reach 5.6824 trillion KRW (about 4.29 billion USD).