Kumho OE on Jeep Renegade

LUTTERWORTH, England (Nov. 23, 2015) — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has selected 17- and 18-inch versions of Kumho Tire Co. Inc.'s Crugen KL33 performance tires as OE fitments on the Jeep Renegade.

FCA assembles the Renegade at a plant in Melfi, Italy, for sale worldwide.

The auto maker is fitting the Crugen Premium KL33 in sizes 215/60R17 100V XL and 225/55R18 98H on the Renegade, FCA's compact SUV of the Jeep. The 18-inch tire, which is standard on the Limited front-wheel-drive version, is exclusive. The 17-inch fitment, listed by FCA as optional on the Latitude FWD version, is shared with Continental A.G.

Kumho said the Crugen KL33 was developed specially for the “particular needs of the ever-expanding SUV sector,” delivering comfort at speed, coupled with good handling characteristics and low levels of noise.

The four-door compact Renegade shares a platform with the Fiat 500L and was designed to appeal more to FCA's customers in Europe, Latin America and Asia, FCA said at the vehicle's launch in 2014.

Kumho has been an OE supplier for international versions of the Jeep Cherokee since 2011.

“Working in close co-operation with our client FCA, we have adjusted the Crugen Premium KL33 to the specific needs of the new Jeep Renegade,” said Frank Gilsdorf, the engineer responsible for the contract at the Frankfurt-based Kumho European Technical Centre.

“This latest contract from FCA underlines the good level of cooperation that exists between our two companies and the consistently high quality of our tires.”