SEOUL, South Korea — Toyota Motor Corp. has begun fitting Hankook Kinergy GT premium grand-touring all-season tires on its 2020 Corolla as an OE fitment.
The contract extends Hankook Tire Co. Inc.'s OE supply relationship with Toyota, which began in 2013 with the Corolla, Hankook said, and was broadened in 2017 with a contract to supply the Kinergy GT on "select" 2018 Camry models.
Hankook said the strengthened partnership with Toyota will help it expand its influence in North America, embodying its vision to grow as a leading global tire company.
"We hope this growing relationship will foster our global expansion of OE fitments and reinforce our global recognition as a premium brand," Hyunjun Cho, head of Hankook's OE Division, said.
The reconfigured 2020 Corolla sedan, which went on sale in the U.S. in March, features a new design with improved agility, comfort, refinement as well as advanced standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 technology, such as pre-collision safety system. The upgraded sedan will use a 2-liter Dynamic-Force engine that provides higher power and better fuel efficiency.
Hankook's tire fitment is size 205/55R16 91H H436, which is the size spec'd for the L and LE versions. Other sizes listed for the vehicle P195/65R15 for the L version and P225/40R18 tires on the SE 6MT, SE CVT and XSE models. This marks the first 18-inch rim diameter fitments ever on the Corolla, Toyota said.
The Kinergy GT also is OE on the 2019 Nissan Altima, in sizes 215/60R16H and 235/40R19V.
Other OE fitments on the 2020 Corolla include the Dunlop EnaSave O1 A/S and Yokohama Avid GT (on the hybrid version).