Kumho Tires Review

Kumho Tires Review

Kumho tires come from a South Korean tire manufacturer with major production plants in South Korea, Europe, North America and China. Established in 1960 as Samyang Tire Company, the company officially became the Kumho Tire Company in 2003. Kumho tires, also manufactured under the Marshall brand, are or have been installed as original equipment on motor vehicles assembled by Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Kia, Mitsubushi and Hyundai.

Kumho Tires exports a full range of tires for motor vehicles across the globe. All tires manufactured by Kumho must meet a robust set of tire quality standards. As part of a commitment to the industry its products support, Kumho is an official sponsor of road racing and rally events, including European Formula 3 Racing.

Kumho is continually searching for new technologies that will enable them to build tires that work well beyond normal expectations with customizations for weather extremes. Beyond tires made for the winter or summer road conditions, Kumho also designs develops and creates tires that work despite specific dangerous conditions.

XRP, for eXtended Run-flat Performance, is a technology perfected by Kumho that minimizes the deformation of a tire when the tire is punctured and loses air pressure. Such a feature allows the driver to stay in control and stay on the road at medium speeds until it is safe to pull over.

Racing performance is brought to Kumho's production lines in the ultra-high performance (UHP) Kumho tires via the use of the aerodynamic F3 technology that combines the qualities of the X-Speed Kumho tires used by racing car drivers to maintain tire contact with the track, while, at the same time, avoiding any excessive heat generation that could spell catastrophe. These X-Speed tires are still completely functional at speeds over 200 MPH on the race track.

Kumho Ecsta Tire Review

The Ecsta is a tire designed for performance on dry streets and is not intended for use on snow, ice, standing water or any road condition where hydroplaning of the tire may happen. Constructed with internal reinforcements, tread designs of the big-block type and grippy rubber compounds, the Ecsta tire is meant for the serious driver who wants both handling and traction at high speeds. Positive feedback from sidewalls designed to resist any lateral deflection give the driver a real feel for the road. The steel belts are combined with a spiral weave of nylon to add high-tensile strength to the tire. The tread of the tire is designed both for linear handling and lateral traction. A center rib around the whole circumference adds stability at high-speeds; wide shoulders add cornering stability. Special aqua grooves channel water away, increasing the tire's grip on the road.

Kumho Ecsta tires were reviewed under both dry and slightly wet road conditions -- driving in snow or ice with Ecsta tires is not recommended by the manufacturer.

Kumho Solus Tires Review

The Solus is a tire designed for year-round performance, combining responsive handling and traction with comfort and noise reduction. Intended for sedans and coupes, the Solus tire works well in light winter conditions. In summer, the Solus provides a smooth quiet ride while still giving the driver the strong road feel common to all Kumho tires. The symmetric tread of the Solus makes extensive use of both long grooves around the circumference to improve handling and lateral grooves to improve traction. Steel belts with nylon edge strips add to the tire's durability and stability. Body plies made of polyester increase the structural strength of the tire and help to smooth out the ride.

Kumho Solus tires were reviewed on both dry and wet roads and on roads lightly layered with snow -- the Solus tire is not intended for driving in heavy snow or during extreme winter conditions.

Kumho Winter Tires Review

These winter tires produced by Kumho, though made specifically for use on snowy and icy roads, still ride comfortably on dry roads. Models such as the Ice Power have a wide tread pattern with rounded outer edges and diagonal grooves to grab the road; these same diagonal grooves also stop the tire from slipping on icy corners. Thin sipes or slits on the shoulder of the tire allow more of the tire to make contact with the road, increasing driving safety in winter conditions.

Kumho winter tires were reviewed on dry roads, on wet roads and on extremely snowy and icy roads.