▶ The ‘CRUGEN HP71’ has now won two of the world’s top three design awards: the Red Dot Design Award and the Good Design Award.

 Kumho Tire announced that it has received Japan’s Good Design Award 2017 (G-Mark) in the product design category. The winning entry was the CRUGEN HP71, a high-performance comfort tire for urban sport utility vehicles (SUVs) released in March this year. Shortly after hitting the market, the tire earned recognition for its design excellence when it won the Red Dot Design Award 2017 in April.

 The Good Design Award is the most prestigious international design competition in Japan hosted by the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO). With 61 years of history, the award boasts of a long tradition and worldwide recognition. Winners are granted the G-Mark after being evaluated for their design, usability and innovative features. The award is given in five categories – product, space, media, system and solution – and Kumho won the sub-category of transportation equipment and industrial facility.

 Geared toward SUV drivers concerned about driving safety in urban settings, The GRUGEN HP71, a high-end comfort tire for SUVs with outstanding performance, allows for smoother and quieter driving.

 The CRUGEN HP71’s sidewall has employed an advanced hologram technology unveiled in Korea for the first time, giving it a luxurious appearance and refined texture. In addition, it is designed to enable different types of cars to achieve highest performance. For city utility vehicles (CUVs), a larger number of different-length pitches - gaps between the same patterns in the tire - contribute to greater comfort and less noise while the three-dimensional sipes, fine grooves on the tread block surface, and a reinforced shoulder block improve handling and durability for high-performance/high-load SUVs.

 The CRUGEN HP71 is also 20% more efficient than existing ones in abrasion resistance and driving on snowy roads thanks to a next-generation rubber compound used. In particular, the tire’s greater water-repellent capability has significantly enhanced driving safety and braking performance, ensuring safe driving experience on snowy surfaces as well.

 “We have been recognized for our design excellence by receiving the world’s top four design awards (the iF Design Award and the Red Dot Award of Germany, the IDEA Award of the United States and the Good Design of Japan) for two consecutive years,” said Chung Taek gyun, head of Kumho’s R&D Division, “The CRUGEN HP71 has already received rave reviews in the market for its outstanding performance, variety in choices and customer-oriented features. Its excellence has now been further evidenced by the receipt of the world’s two top design awards. It has great potential to become a steady seller both in the Korean and international markets in the premium high-performance SUV tire category.”