DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Motor Co. has spec'd the Hankook Kinergy GT all-season grand-touring tire as an OE fitment on the 2020 Ford Explorer XLT, extending Hankook's growing OE relationship in North America with Ford.
The Explorer has been redesigned and re-engineered for 2020, and comes with a variable terrain management system along with added cargo space fitting up to seven passengers. It's powered by a 3-liter EcoBoost V6 mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox.
Ford has spec'd the Kinergy GT in size 265/65R18 for the Explorer XLT trim level, which is considered the base model.
Hankook describes the Kinergy GT as providing "exceptional" grip in wet and snowy conditions, thanks to a four circumferential channel tread design with an "optimized" lateral-groove and chamfer-sipe arrangement and the use of high-grip silica tread compounds.
Hankook launched the Kinergy GT in 2016 and since has gained a number of other OE fitments with it, including the 2020 Toyota Corolla, 2019 Nissan Altima, 2019 BMW X3 hatchback "sport activity vehicle" and 2018 Honda Accord.
Ford earlier this year disclosed it is using a self-sealing version of the Michelin Primacy A/S tire as standard OE fitment on two versions of the 2020 Explorer.