Premium tyre manufacturer Hankook Tire’s associate brand Laufenn is celebrating 10-year milestone of the brand’s presence in Europe.

The brand started with passenger car tyres since 2015 and added commercial vehicle treads to its portfolio five years later. Laufenn today boasts market presence in over 100 countries, offering passenger car tyres in 341 sizes along with a commercial vehicle portfolio of 18 sizes. Hankook intends to boost marketing expenditures in order to raise awareness of its Laufenn brand. In addition, a new generation of passenger car treads for the summer and winter will soon be introduced. Laufenn will increase its market share and supply original equipment tyres to a European automaker in 2025, in addition to its current offering in the passenger car replacement market. Laufenn has also been an official sponsor of the UEFA Europa Conference League since the 2021/22 season, further emphasising its position in strategically important sales markets.

Laufenn first made its foray into the market with performance and touring summer tyres for passenger automobiles. The X Fit Van summer tyre for SUVs and passenger vehicles, as well as the i Fit, the first winter tyre for SUVs and passenger cars in Western and Central Europe, came next. The i Fit ICE, a studded winter tyre for passenger automobiles and SUVs, marked Laufenn's entry into the Northern and Eastern European markets over the ensuing time frame. All-season tyres are now part of the range in addition to summer and winter tyres. Laufenn unveiled the improved summer tyres S FIT EQ+ and G FIT EQ+ in 2020. Laufenn's total market share in Europe has increased fourfold since its launch.

Laufenn is also commemorating a significant milestone in the commercial vehicle tyre industry: the company has been providing truck, bus, and trailer treads throughout Europe for five years. In 2025, the 18 sizes that are now available in the commercial vehicle portfolio will be expanded to include additional sizes, beginning with the trailer tyres LF95 and LR02, which are 265/70 R19.5.

In an effort to further innovate the truck market, Laufenn is this year launching ‘Laufenn365’, a new digital platform that will make it easier to resolve unintentional damage claims for the company's commercial vehicle tyres and provide clients with additional insurance against unforeseen expenses. Initially, this platform will be available in the United Kingdom. Laufenn intends to reach further European markets with its smart product and tyre warranty. The launch of another affiliate brand, Optimo, is a recent illustration of Hankook's strategic brand growth. Optimo serves a market niche with increasing demand for passenger automobiles and enhances Hankook's sibling and premium brands.

Jongho Park, President and Chief Operating Officer, Hankook Tire Europe, said, “With our associate brand Laufenn, we offer tyres that deliver excellent value for money without compromising on safety, reliability and quality. Customers benefit from the many years of experience of the Hankook brand and get a product that meets the highest standards. This allows us to create a win-win situation in every respect.”

Jang Hyuk Moon, Vice President – Marketing Department, Hankook Tire Europe, said, “Laufenn has established itself as a strong associate brand to Hankook with a steadily expanding portfolio and growing international presence. The brand will continue to focus on quality and customer relationships in order to further build on its success.”

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The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company expanded its all-season portfolio with the Vector All Season 4, launched in late April 2026 and aimed at a broader span of European vehicles, from premium models to electric vehicles. Aimed at motorists who prefer a single set of tyres for the whole year, the product builds on almost five decades of Goodyear all-season development and debuts WeatherReady Technology, an engineering platform created to keep performance steady as conditions shift.

Independent testing has already brought the tyre attention. Tyre Reviews named it ‘Test Winner’ in its most recent all-season comparison, and Auto Bild Allrad likewise placed it first as ‘Test Winner’, drawing attention to exemplary snow traction plus second-place finishes in snow handling, dry handling and rolling resistance.

For regions where climate, roads and regulations favour all-weather rubber, the Vector All Season 4 serves as a premium choice for drivers wanting readiness for dry, wet and milder winter conditions year-round while easing the hassle of seasonal swaps such as workshop appointments, scheduling and off-season storage. Balanced dry, wet and winter capability now reaches rim diameters up to 23 inches, opening premium year-round convenience to segments that previously lacked an all-season option.

The new tyre sits alongside Goodyear’s existing all-weather range, including the Vector 4Seasons Gen-3, which in 2024 became the first all-season tyre to earn ADAC’s overall ‘Good’ rating. The Gen-3 remains especially suited to smaller cars, with most SKUs at 16 inches and below, pairing strong wet and snow performance with efficiency. Goodyear’s all-weather work dates to 1977 and the Tiempo, which the company calls the world’s first all-weather tyre. With the technology’s 50th anniversary nearing in 2027, Goodyear continues refining all-season tyres for evolving European driving conditions.

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Hankook Tire’s new Winter i*cept evo 4 delivered a strong debut in Auto Bild’s major 2026 winter tyre test, finishing joint third among 50 models in size 245/45 R19. The premium tyre earned an overall score of 1.4 and an ‘exemplary’ rating reserved for only the four highest-placed tyres. Testing was carried out on a BMW 5 Series, with two tyres sharing first place and two sharing third after consistently strong results across all 16 disciplines.

The publication’s test panel characterised the Hankook model as a newcomer combining a strong cost profile with precise dry-road handling. Before the full test, all 50 tyres underwent wet and snow braking comparisons, and only the 20 with the shortest combined stopping distances progressed. Hankook had already secured fourth place in qualifying with a combined braking distance of 65.5 metres.

Its individual results comprised 36.3 metres when braking from 80 kmph in wet conditions and 29.2 metres from 50 kmph on snow. The outcome marks a successful test debut for the Winter i*cept evo 4, placing it among the leading performers in the 2026 evaluation.

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Apollo Tyres’ five manufacturing plants in India have received Five-Star Ratings and Sword of Honour awards for 2026 from the British Safety Council, recognising their occupational health and safety management.

The awards follow the council’s Five-Star Occupational Health and Safety Audit, which assesses an organisation’s safety policies, processes and practices through documentation reviews, stakeholder interviews and sampling of operational activities.

The Sword of Honour recognises organisations that achieve the maximum five stars in the council’s independent audit and demonstrate a strong culture of health and safety across their operations. The 2026 awards mark the 47th consecutive year in which the council has presented the honour.

Rajeev Kumar Sinha, Chief Manufacturing And Sustainability Officer at Apollo Tyres, said: “Safety is a core value at Apollo Tyres and integral to everything we do. The recognition of all five of our manufacturing plants in India by the British Safety Council reflects our collective commitment to high standards of health and safety. While this achievement is a matter of pride, we remain focused on continuous improvement and fostering a culture where everyone takes ownership of safety and returns home safe every day.”

Peter McGettrick, Chairman of the British Safety Council, said: “On behalf of the board of trustees and staff of the British Safety Council I would like to congratulate Apollo Tyres on achieving the highest standards of its health and safety management. Achieving recognition of this sort takes absolute dedication and the utmost professionalism. We are proud to support you in your achievements and delighted we can contribute to your ongoing success.”

Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of the British Safety Council, added: “I would like to congratulate Apollo Tyres and its staff on this award, in tribute to their commitment to keeping their workplace safe and healthy and contributing to safeguarding the environment. All of the Sword award-winning organisations share a commitment and willingness to achieve the uppermost standards of health and safety. We thank Apollo Tyres for contributing to achieving our vision that no one should be injured or made ill through their work.”

The assessment period for the 2026 awards ran from  1 August 2025 to 31 July  2026. Award recipients also had to demonstrate to an independent adjudication panel a track record of good health and safety practices throughout their organisations, from the shopfloor to the boardroom.

Apollo Tyres manufactures tyres in India and Hungary and sells products under the Apollo and Vredestein brands in more than 100 countries.

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Michelin will present its newest trailer tyre, the 385/65 R22.5 X Multi T2, at stand D60 during RTX Scotland, scheduled for 18–19 November at Glasgow’s SEC. The Glasgow event marks the UK show debut for the tyre, which Michelin says offers 15 percent more mileage and six percent lower rolling resistance than the model it replaces.

Alongside the tyre, Michelin will highlight its Remix 2 process, an extension of its multi-life policy that permits a second retread and further regrooving. The company claims this can extend a tyre’s service life by as much as 375 percent. Remix 2 is presently undergoing trials with selected Michelin customers and builds on established retreading at the firm’s Stoke remanufacturing site.

Designed for regional and mixed transport, the X Multi T2 handles heavy loads and lateral forces during manoeuvring while remaining robust across varied conditions. It carries EU label ratings of B for rolling resistance, C for wet grip and A for external rolling noise, plus 3PMSF and M+S markings for winter suitability.

The combination of a second premium retread with up to three regroovings during service is central to Michelin’s multi-life proposition. Fleets gain greater value and mileage from each fitment, with the maximum safe distance potentially reaching 375 percent of a single-life Michelin tyre’s baseline.

Andrew French, B2B Sales Director at Michelin UK & Ireland, said, “We’re excited to be giving the X Multi T2 its UK debut at RTX Scotland. Enhancing our popular X Multi range, it’s another asset that can help hauliers go further for less as part of a well-managed tyre policy. The opportunity to showcase our Remix 2 offer, which can significantly boost the longevity of each tyre and reduce the total cost of ownership, underlines our commitment to maximising value.”

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