Kumho Tire has received the Good Design Award 2020 (G-Mark) for two of its products.
It is making the company the winner of all four of the design world’s most prestigious awards in 2020, a list that includes the iF Design Award and the Red Dot Design Award of Germany and the IDEA Design Award of the United States.
Hosted by the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO), the Good Design Award is the most renowned international design competition in Japan. Winners are granted the G-Mark after being evaluated on their design, usability, and innovative features. The award is given in five categories – product, space, media, system, and solution – with Kumho winning in the sub-category of transportation equipment and industrial facility.
Kumho’s winning entries were two new products for passenger cars – the Solus 4S HA32 (Solus HA 32) and the Winter PorTran CW11.
A high-performance all-season tire designed for Europe, the Solus HA 32 delivers stable driving and braking performance all year round. The latest compound technology and the three-dimensional interlocking sipe pattern resembling the letter V ensure superb braking and excellent handling, allowing the tire to be used in all types of weather conditions and accommodating different road conditions such as rain- and snow-covered roads and slushy surfaces. The Solus HA 32’s sidewall has an all-season icon on it which serves as an easily recognizable reminder of the tire’s versatility. It is also decorated with a hologram that changes its form depending on the angle of the light, giving the Solus HA 32 a distinctive look. The tire also won this year’s Red Dot Design Award in the transportation category.
The Winter PorTran CW11 is optimized for icy roads in the coldest areas of Europe. Designed for vans and light commercial vehicles (LCVs), the tire enables excellent driving performance on snowy and icy surfaces in winter. Its tread pattern’s reinforced central blocks and its robust belt structure help improve grip and driving stability. The zigzag grooves on the tire’s center and shoulder provide improved water removal and better traction on snowy roads. That 3D decorative pattern on the shoulder resembling a set of ice cubes absorbs noise that goes out.
“The receipt of this award is yet more global recognition of our design excellence as well as our technological prowess,” said Jung Il-Taik, the head of R&D Division. “By winning all of the world’s four major design awards this year, we have regained our position as a technology leader. We will strive to transform ourselves into a smart mobility partner which sets the trend and gets ahead of the curve through continued technological innovation that could earn us even more awards in the future.”