Kumho Tire USA is working hard on building the foundation for a new “house.” As part of its efforts the tiremaker is refreshing its product offerings, said Kumho during its recent dealer meeting in Vieques, Puerto Rico.
The tiremaker announced six new tires are to be rolled out in 2015. Additionally, the company said it plans to refresh its product offerings annually from here on out.
“[The new products] are more competitive, meeting the demands of today’s environment,” John Hagan, Kumho’s vice president of sales, told Tire Review. “We for many reasons didn’t refresh our offerings, so our dealers have been starving for new products. With all these new products, we’re refreshing the brand and refreshing the enthusiasm of our customer.”
Newly announced tires include:
• Ecsta V720: An extreme summer performance tire set to release in Q1 2015. The tire is built for speed, and delivers unsurpassed corning, wet handling and extreme grip, according to Kumho. The tire will be available in 15-18-inch wheel diameters.
• Ecsta 4X II: A premium all-season ultra-high-performance tire. It will be available in 53 sizes ranging from 15-20-inch wheel diameters and with V- and W-speed ratings. The Ecsta 4X II is set to be released in Q2 2015.
• Solus TA71: An all-season grand touring tire available Q2 2015 in 38 sizes from 15-19-inch wheel diameters. The tire’s tread offers superb wet traction, winter handling, as well as a smooth responsive ride, the tiremaker said.
• Solus TA11: An all-season touring tire. Set to launch in Q3 2015, the entry-level tire is T-rated and will be available in 44 sizes from 13- to 18-inch wheel diameters.
• Road Venture AT51: An on/off-road tire that will be available in 43 sizes, ranging from 15-20-inch wheel diameter. The P- and LT-metric tire will launch Q2 2015.
• Crugen Premium KL33: A premium all-weather tire for SUVs/CUVs. Starting Q2 2015, the tire will be available in 30 sizes between 16- and 20-inch wheel diameter. The tire is offered in T-, H- or V-speed ratings.
Kumho also discussed its Solus TA31, a high performance all-season, released in September 2014. The tire will be offered in 28 sizes, ranging from 14-18-inch wheel diameter, and T-, H- and V-speed ratings. The tread pattern offers lower rolling resistance, as well as excellent wet traction, according to Kumho.
The new products are the foundation of Kumho’s long term “house” plan. Kumho’s long term goal is to sell 10 million units locally and gain a 3.5% marketshare by 2018, according to Harry Choi, president of Kumho Tire USA.
“This number seems to be very ambitions and may look tough,” Choi told a group of select tire dealers and distributors. “But this can be realized with our best efforts and your help.”
Hagan also said that Kumho is working to be the “easiest manufacturer to do business with.”
As part of its efforts, Kumho Tire USA is focusing on some major P’s – price, product, promotion and people.
Read more about its plans and more from Kumho’s dealer meeting in future issues of Tire Review and on TireReview.com.
