Hankook will launch the fourth generation in its Ventus evo range of ultra-high performance tyres early in 2025. The new tyre, simply called the Hankook Ventus evo, increases longevity 32% over predecessor while also improving wet and dry grip for changeable weather, making it an interesting tyre for UK drivers. Hankook said the tyre has used Artificial Intelligence to enhance its compound mixing process to “overcome traditional trade-offs”. The new product line, which carries the product number K137, combines outstanding wet grip with impressively low rolling resistance and high mileage.
Hankook reveals the new Ventus evo’s development was “a perfect example of AI-assisted development.” The technology was employed to help the manufacturer disperse silica optimally through the rubber compound. Ultimately this helps the rubber to perform in a more uniform way, which supports all sorts of performance characteristics, but is especially crucial in achieving better wet grip.
The compound increases the tyre’s flexibility, particularly useful in the British summer. It boosts dry braking by 6% in addition to better performance in the wet.
The Ventus evo’s wide drainage grooves ensure good water dispersal, which reduces the risk of aquaplaning in combination with the optimised tyre contact area. Extra-rigid sidewalls and tread blocks ensure stability during cornering and shorten the dry braking distance by six per cent compared to the tyre’s predecessor.
Hankook engineers say the company has achieved all this while also providing a big boost to both fuel economy and tread longevity in the new Hankook evo K137. The compound mix and high block rigidity help the Ventus evo achieve low rolling resistance, reducing fuel consumption, while increasing mileage by 32% versus the predecessor tyre. The tyre should therefore be an economical way to achieve balanced, sporty performance.
“With the fourth generation of the Ventus evo, we are setting new standards,” claims Klaus Krause, vice president and head of Europe Technical Center at Hankook. “We decided early on to leverage AI in the development of tyre mixtures and were able to successfully transform the laboratory results into high quality industrial processes. Today, we’re seeing the benefits of that effort. With its innovative mixture ratio, the Ventus evo overcomes traditional trade-offs, delivering uncompromising excellence in performance, safety, and mileage.”
Starting with 58 sizes in time for the start of the summer season, Hankook says the new Ventus evo range – including the Ventus evo SUV – will be available in 94 sizes for a particularly wide range of vehicles by the end of 2025. It will be available for cars fitting tyres to rims of 17 to 23 inches in diameter.
Hankook Ventus evo K137 (Photo: Hankook)
