▶ Kumho supplies the Ecowing ES01 (KH27) for the Volkswagen Polo, a small but high-performance hatchback.
▶ The environment-friendly tire has achieved a high rating according to the EU tire labeling system.

 Kumho Tire(CEO: Lee Han-Seob) announced on Thursday that it has received the IDEA Finalist award for 2017 in the automotive and transportation category.

 Kumho Tire (CEO: Lee Han-Seob) announced on Monday that it will supply OE tires(tires for new cars) for the 2017 version of the Polo, Volkswagen’s steady-selling small hatchback. Selected as the world’s No. 2 automaker by the Forbes magazine, Volkswagen is a global company with renowned brands under its belt including Volkswagen, Audi, Lamborghini and Porsche.

 The Polo, a model first released in 1975 and synonymous with compact hatchback, has enjoyed steady success over the last 42 years with the accumulated sales of approximately 17 million units. Along with its sister model the Golf, the car has been popular in Korea as well since its launch in 2013. The new Polo is larger than its previous version, allowing for ample interior space, and has employed newly-designed head lamps and bumpers with focus on straight lines. In keeping with Volkswagen’s tradition of naming its cars after a wind, the Polo refers to a cold wind blowing from the North Pole.

 Kumho has been providing OE tires for the Polo since 2014 and the tires for the new Polo started to be supplied this Month after development from March 2015 and approval for performance, technology and mass production. The new Polo will be fitted with the Ecowing ES01, an environment-friendly tire geared toward the European market.

 The Ecowing ES01, an eco-friendly model developed by Kumho in 2012 to comply with the EU tire labeling system, is the first Korean-made tire to obtain A/A, the highest EU rating, for rolling resistance and wet grip. With a lower rolling resistance and a stronger wet grip, the Ecowing ES01 minimizes energy loss and allows for optimum driving stability. It has also been recognized for its design excellence, receiving the Red Dot Design Award in the product design category in 2013. The Red Dot is the one of the three most prestigious design awards.

 The 2017 Polo will be manufactured in Pamplona, a city located in Northern Spain, and sold in Europe, mounted with tires produced in Kumho’s Gokseong Plant. “The deal is yet another recognition of our environment-friendly tires around the world, especially in Europe,” said Kim Hyun-ho, Kumho Tire’s OE Product Development Senior Vice President, “We will continue to build on our expertise to open a new chapter in the environment-friendly tire segment.”

※ Reference

 ■ Global car models fitted with Kumho OE tires (as of August 2017)