Hankook launches winter tire in the U.S. for enhanced ice control and snow safety

- Hankook Tire’s Winter i*cept iZ³ is a premium studless winter tire designed to handle extreme winter driving with a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty
- Winter i*cept iZ³ X is available for compact, medium, large, and high-performance SUV fitments

Seoul, Korea, February 23, 2024 – Leading global tire company Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook Tire) announced the latest update to its winter product line with the Winter i*cept iZ³ tire in the U.S. Engineered to deliver durability and improved performance in snow and ice, the Winter i*cept iZ³ is designed for compact and full-size sedans, while the i*cept iZ³ X is designed for the SUV segment.

“For many Americans, winter driving can be stressful, especially when encountering snow in excess or icy conditions,” said Rob Williams, President, Hankook Tire America Corp. “Our latest seasonal product, the Winter i*cept iZ³ tire, along with its SUV counterpart, the i*cept iZ³ X, are engineered to provide confidence in extreme winter conditions with improved ice braking and acceleration. Moreover, our new 3D winter sipe technology is designed to help drivers handle every winter.”

Hankook Tire’s Winter i*cept tires are built to take on mother nature’s harshest and coldest driving environments, providing drivers with the latest tire compound and tread pattern technologies such as angled ice-grip slits and serrated 3D winter siping to keep their vehicle and passenger safe in adverse conditions. Building on the success of its predecessor and even further beyond conventional fitments, the Winter i*cept iZ³ tire features new advancements, including ▲ A new i*cept compound and pattern technology accomplished through the highly refined resin and utilizing a flexible polymer chain to enhance ice braking and acceleration by 9% and 11%, respectively, over its predecessor and 13% better ice handling when compared to conventional products ▲ A wider V-shaped pattern with wider lateral grooves that are 24% wider than conventional winter tires to improve water displacement capability along with similar improvements regarding dry handling (19%), wet handling (9%), and wet braking (5%) over conventional tires ▲ Tread life lasts up to 30% longer compared to conventional winter products, thanks to an optimized curing temperature and an increased contact area that is 10% larger by comparison, providing a better spread of ground pressure and improving tread life as a result.

As a premium studless tire, the Winter i*cept iZ³ and i*cept iZ³ X for SUVs join existing studless winter Hankook Tire products to cater to a diverse range of vehicles from compact sedans to utility vehicle fitments in moderate winter conditions: the Winter i*cept evo³ and Winter i*cept evo³ X. Additional winter products include Hankook Tire’s stud type tire offering for severe winter driving situations, the Winter i*Pike RS², Winter i*Pike^x , i*pike RW11, and Winter i*pike LT.

The Winter i*cept iZ³ and i*cept iZ³ X will be available to pre-order in 51 sizes ranging from 15 to 20 inches across sedan and SUV fitments. Both winter products come with a 50,000-limited treadwear warranty. For more information, visit the Winter i*cept iZ³ product page.