Kumho is displaying 30 products including a new eco-friendly tyre, SOLUS KH19, at REIFEN 2008, Essen, Germany, May 20-23.

“This is a milestone year for Kumho as we strengthen our focus on making ‘greener’ products,” said Sae-chul Oh, CEO and President of Kumho Tires. “These new tyres improve fuel efficiency, lower CO2 emissions and run more quietly. We have also re-engineered our manufacturing process to make it more environmentally friendly. Kumho has taken this leading role in environmental issues because it allows us to provide tangible benefits to our customers, while simultaneously helping the planet.”

Flagship eco-friendly product

The SOLUS KH19 Tyre is Kumho’s flagship eco-friendly product and is based on proprietary technologies including KADAS (tyre structure simulation technology), ESCOT (tyre contour optimisation technology) and TTIA (tyre-terrain interaction analysis). The tyre boasts a 35 per cent improvement in rolling resistance and a six per cent decrease in CO2 emissions. It is also made of more eco-friendly materials, including low PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) oils and non-petroleum fillers while an innovative (nature-based) tread pattern gives the SOLUS KH19 both a greener image and a smoother ride. The new tyre will be available from this autumn.

Other new models from the Kumho range

Kumho is presenting several other new products, including its NRBT (natural resource based tread) tyres, which were developed using such natural materials as rubber, filler and oil. The quiet running, lightweight SOLUS KL21 has low rolling resistance and a bamboo-inspired tread pattern. The I’ZEN KW27 provides notable braking power in wet and slippery conditions while the ECSTA X-Speed KU38 was designed to allow supercars to drive at speeds of up to 360 km/h. Examples of Kumho’s broad range of run-flat tyres are also on show.

The Kumho truck and bus tyres being displayed at the show include its KLS03, KLD03 and KLT01(+) models - all offer excellent fuel efficiency and resistance to abrasion.

Founded in 1960, REIFEN is one of the largest tyre exhibitions in the world. This year, 570 companies from 40 countries are participating, and 18,000 visitors are expected.

For further information on Kumho and its products log onto www.kumhotyre.co.uk.