Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • A year later, pandemic's full tire industry impact unclear
      Tire Cologne canceled; rescheduled until 2022
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
    • DTM switches horses mid-stream; awards race tire contract to Michelin
      Icahn Auto trims fiscal 2020 operating loss despite 14% lower sales
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Sumitomo adds treadwear-detection to 'Sensor Core' toolkit
    • 4 Wheel Parts celebrates 60th anniversary with deals, promotions
      CarAdvise partnering with RepairSmith mobile repair services
      Goodyear to raise prices by up to 8% on all passenger tires on April 1
      Point S posts strongest year ever in sales profit, growth, store growth
    • Trac Intermodal redirects retread biz 100% in-house
      Giti rolling out range of GT Radial-brand urban/regional truck tires
      Conlan Tire buys BestDrive locations in Ark., Okla., Texas from Continental
      Michelin upgrades 2 lines of Energy-branded truck tires
    • USTMA joins coalition supporting passage of Equality Act
      McMahon's Best-One increases its minimum wage to $15
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Conti recalling 94,000 Conti-, General-, Barum-brand LT/SUV tires
    • Goodyear names Patterson to lead Cooper integration efforts
      DTM switches horses mid-stream; awards race tire contract to Michelin
      Sentury's 10-year global expansion strategy will include plants in North America, Europe
      Rebound in car tire demand drives USTMA market forecast for 2021
    • DTM switches horses mid-stream; awards race tire contract to Michelin
      Bridgestone World Solar Challenge canceled due to pandemic restrictions
      Pirelli, Goodyear ink sedan racing series contracts in Canada, Europe
      Goodyear extends partnership with Nürburgring race circuit
    • Giti rolling out range of GT Radial-brand urban/regional truck tires
      Milestar Weatherguard AS710 to be made in Tennessee
      Michelin upgrades 2 lines of Energy-branded truck tires
      Falken revamps winter tire lineup with studless Eurowinter products
    • 4 Wheel Parts celebrates 60th anniversary with deals, promotions
      A year later, pandemic's full tire industry impact unclear
      Milestar Weatherguard AS710 to be made in Tennessee
      New Nexen Tire Garage offers dealers digital resources
    • Pennzoil offering carbon-neutral lubricants for passenger cars
      Washington dealership uses new-school solution for recruiting auto techs
      Marinucci: Customers may ignore dangerous conditions
      Automotive Lift Institute introduces Check360 inspection, label
    • SEMA survey shows resilient auto aftermarket in 2020
      SEMA scholarships and loan forgiveness now available
      WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
      Denver's Brian Sump named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year
    • SEMA survey shows resilient auto aftermarket in 2020
      Trade groups oppose minimum wage increase proposal
      New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
    • Goodyear names Patterson to lead Cooper integration efforts
      Giti rolling out range of GT Radial-brand urban/regional truck tires
      Milestar Weatherguard AS710 to be made in Tennessee
      New Nexen Tire Garage offers dealers digital resources
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
      Sponsored By AppointmentPlus
      Three Important Lessons Learned for the Tire Business During a Pandemic
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      Safety tips for wheel balancing
      An introduction to wheel balancing
      Wheel weights: Balancing form with function
    • Video: Demounting
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
      How to clear rim rust and corrosion
      An introduction to demounting, mounting and inflation
    • Video: Safety
      Customers
      Considerations for shop safety policies
      Introduction: Creating a culture of safety
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Tire repair: Shining a light on visual inspections
      Staying safe when repairing a tire
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
    • Video: TMPS Service
      Decoding sensor data for TPMS diagnosis
      Replacement TPMS sensor overview
      The life-saving work of TPMS
    • Video: Training
      Advantages of apprentice program partnerships
      Options and resources for CE tech training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      All types of lifts for all types of work
      Tips and recommendations for lifting safety
      The gravity of proper lift points
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      Using torque sticks to speed service times
      The danger of too much, too little torque
      The importance of torque specifications
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
  • Awards
    • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
August 05, 2002 02:00 AM

Kumho hosts first 'ride/drive' event

Vera Fedchenko
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    Call it uncharacteristic of Kumho Tire USA.

    But the Fontana, Calif.-based tire maker felt it was time to do as other tire makers do and make a lot of noise about its products.

    Tire-squealing noise, that is, as journalists from 19 trade and enthusiast publications took to the test track at Tire Rack's South Bend headquarters and pushed Kumho's new Ecsta MX, STX and V700 tires to their limits in what was Kumho's first ride-and-drive event. The excursion was jointly hosted by Kumho and Tire Rack, which also showcased its new 520,000-sq.-ft. headquarters and distribution center. (See related story about Tire Rack on page 1.)

    The South Korean company-which unveiled the high-performance Ecsta tire lines last fall during the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)/International Tire Expo (ITE) in Las Vegas-recently made those Ecsta products available to the market in a wide range of sizes. And Kumho is in the middle of a marketing campaign to build brand awareness and support tire dealers.

    That campaign, which involved the media ride-and-drive, includes a free pair of Momo sunglasses with the purchase of a set of Ecsta MS, STX or 712 tires. A national print and TV advertising campaign highlighting Kumho's ultra-high performance tires also has been under way in consumer and trade publications and on several cable stations-ESPN, CNN and Discovery Channel, just to name a few.

    Kumho also is supporting the Momo promotion with an event merchandising kit for dealers that includes counter cards, redemption forms, a tire display stand, tire insert, modular newspaper clip art and a radio spot.

    At the Tire Rack's testing grounds, journalists drove Lexus IS 300s equipped with the MX, the BFGoodrich T/AKO and the Michelin Pilot Sport. The group also drove Acura RSXs, Ford Expeditions, BMW 330Cis, and Audi Quattros equipped either with the STX, MX, or a comparative brand, such as the Ecsta Supra, Ecsta KH11 and the Goodyear Wrangler RT/S. The V700 came equipped on BMW Z3 sports cars.

    Kyu Cho, president of Kumho Tire USA, told Tire Business that after experiencing a 32-percent sales jump in 2001, Kumho is being more aggressive this year in launching new tires and demonstrating its technology in order to grow even more.

    He said the tire maker was able to see huge sales gains last year because dealers can get wider margins on Kumho brands than other flag brands and therefore sold more Kumho products.

    The Ecsta MX has V and Z speed ratings and is available in 26 sizes ranging from P205/40R17 to P245/40R20 and for wheels from 6.5 to 11.5 inches wide, the company said.

    The Ecsta STX is a VR-rated tire and marks Kumho's entry into the market for 22- and 23-inch tires for light trucks and sport-utility vehicles. It is being offered in 20 sizes, from P255/60R15 to P305/40R23.

    The Ecsta V700 carries V and Z speed ratings and is available in 19 sizes ranging from P175/60R13 to P285/30R18. ``We plan to continue producing the Victoracer (racing tires) because it has only five sizes in common with the Ecsta V700,'' said Rick Brennan, Kumho's high-performance brand manager. ``We'll offer racers a choice of two different competition tires and nearly 30 different sizes.''

    He added that Kumho also plans to debut a 24-inch Ecsta STX tire during this year's SEMA/ITE trade show.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION
    • Awards
      • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award