Hankook Tire has begun supplying Optimo H725A tires for Volkswagen’s Jetta, Jetta SportWagen and New Beetles manufactured at Volkswagen’s Puebla, Mexico, plant.
While Hankook has fitments on Volkswagen cars in other global markets, "this development represents a significant increase in VW fitments on Volkswagens to be sold in Canada and the US, where Jetta is the highest-selling VW model vehicle," the company says.
“A high-profile fitment such as this is a great win for Hankook. Along with our ongoing business with Ford, GM and Chrysler, earning this fitment demonstrates that our brand equity is rising with automakers for the all-important North American market,” says Greg Pae, president of Hankook Tire America Corp. “This O.E. business is very complementary with our replacement sales strategy, supplying dealers and consumers with high quality products that deliver a great return on investment.”
Seung Hwa Suh, CEO, Hankook Tire, reports, “After working closely with Volkswagen as an OE supplier in other world markets, we have created excellent relationships, and we look forward to earning even more fitments on VW vehicles to be sold in the U.S. and Canada.”
The Optimo tire line offers a balance of performance, wear, quality and quietness, the company says. The Optimo H725A utilizes Hankook's "Kontrol Technology’ platform to improve road performance with an emphasis on vehicle handling. Suh notes, “By leveraging our Kontrol Technology in the development of UHP products, Hankook Tire is able to tailor its products to current environmental sustainability standards, and this in turn allows Hankook Tire to deliver quality products to our consumers.
“Despite the current economic climate, I believe that Hankook Tire will be able to move forward to build upon the already steady growth of our OE fitment business, which is a vital element to Hankook’s long-term growth strategy. Our unwavering commitment and efforts toward long-term investment in research and development allows Hankook to deliver high-quality, high-performance tires that capture the attention of OEMs and consumers alike.”
