Hankook Tire Dominates Auto Bild’s Tire Test with Top Rating

- Secures ‘Exemplary’ honors for EV and internal combustion engine high-performance tires
- ‘iON evo’ outshines Michelin, Goodyear, and others with top scores across the board
- ‘Ventus evo’ leads 20 brands with unmatched braking and handling
- Showcases world-class tech in Europe and premium OE tire partnerships

Seoul, Korea, April 4, 2025 — Global leading tire company Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook Tire) has secured top honors in the latest tire tests conducted by Germany’s renowned automotive magazine, Auto Bild. The company’s electric vehicle-exclusive performance tire, ‘iON evo,’ and ultra-high-performance tire, ‘Ventus evo’ both earned the coveted ‘Exemplary’ rating — a significant milestone that underscores the company’s technological leadership and excellence in European tire performance evaluations.

The electric vehicle-exclusive performance tire test featured eight global brands, including Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, and Hankook Tire’s ‘iON evo,’ all in the 215/55 R18 size. Conducted on the Hyundai ‘Kona EV,’ the evaluation assessed 13 key performance areas, including braking, handling, rolling resistance, and noise levels, on both wet and dry surfaces.

‘iON evo’ excelled across all criteria — including aquaplaning, braking, handling, rolling resistance, and noise levels—securing the Test Winner title over rival brands. Its standout handling and braking performance on both wet and dry surfaces achieved the highest scores among all tested tires.

Hankook Tire has further demonstrated its global leadership in EV tire technology by clinching top spot in Auto Bild’s electric vehicle-exclusive performance tire test for three consecutive years. The winning streak began with the ‘iON evo’ in 2023, followed by the ‘iON evo SUV’ for electric SUVs in 2024, and has been extended to this year, reinforcing the brand’s consistency and innovation in the EV segment.

The ultra-high-performance tire test was also fiercely contested with products from 20 global brands, including the ‘Ventus evo,’ in the 225/40 R18 size, mounted on a BMW 1 Series. The evaluation spanned a range of road conditions to gauge performance under real-world demands.

The ‘Ventus evo’ shone in the test results, delivering the most outstanding braking performance—the most critical safety metric—impressing Auto Bild editors. It recorded the shortest braking distance on wet surface, and ranked first in dry handling. Its strong results across all test categories secured it the prestigious ‘Exemplary’ rating.

In its final assessment, Auto Bild described the ‘iON evo’ as “Outstanding in hydroplaning resistance and braking performance on wet surfaces, while also offering excellent driving dynamics and quietness.” For the ‘Ventus evo,’ Auto Bild commented, “Ventus evo impressed with its dynamic driving performance and stellar braking power across all driving conditions.” Both tires received high acclaim for their balanced performance and technological sophistication.

Hankook Tire continues to expand its presence in Europe, the epicenter of the global automotive industry, by leveraging innovative technologies gained through continuous R&D activities. Since its local launch in 2022, the ‘iON evo’ product line has earned yearly accolades from top-tier global evaluation bodies like Auto Bild, TÜV SÜD, and WhatTyre, cementing its reputation for its elite EV tire engineering tailored to electric vehicles.

Hankook’s tires are being fitted as original equipment (OE) tires on major electric vehicle models from premium automakers such as Porsche’s Taycan, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, and Cupra, rapidly gaining a strong foothold in the European market.

The ‘Ventus evo’ represents the fourth generation of Hankook’s ultra-high-performance sports tire lineup, succeeding the highly acclaimed ‘Ventus S1 evo3.’ Compared to its predecessor, it offers significantly improved braking power, cornering performance, fuel efficiency, and mileage. It is already rolling out as original equipment tires for BMW and Audi.

Looking ahead, Hankook Tire aims to lock in its leadership in the ultra-high-performance tire market by focusing on proactive technology development through its state-of-the-art infrastructure, which includes the headquarters’ ‘Technoplex,’ high-tech research facility ‘Hankook Technodome,’ five global R&D hubs, and Asia's largest tire proving ground, ‘Hankook Technoring.’