Kumho Tire Co. was named a finalist for its concept tires “the Smasher” and “the Sealant Tire” in the 2016 International Design Excellence Awards in the automotive and transportation category.
“We now have all of the top three international design awards under our belt,” said Chung Taek-Gyun, executive vice president at Kumho Tire Co., head of R&D division, “We will continue to build our capabilities in all areas of tire technology including design in order to open a new chapter in the global tire industry.”
The Smasher is a future-oriented concept tire that was designed with Ssangyong Motor to drive in extreme road conditions with suction plates and grinder-shaped treads, Kumho said. The suction plates would allow the vehicle to climb steep slopes while the grinder crushes portions of the road that could damage the tire.
The Sealant tire is a concept tire automatically seals the damaged part of the tire when debris penetrates the tire tread, Kumho said.
Kumho has also took home honors from the Red Dot Award and International Forum Design of Germany, as well as two prizes at the Green Good Design Award 2016.
