December 16, 2019 |
Hankook to Supply Original Equipment Tyres for the Audi SQ8 TDI
Following successfully supplying original equipment tyres for the Audi Q8 series, Hankook will now be equipping another sporty model of the manufacturer, the Audi SQ8 TDI. As with the Audi Q8, the ultra-high performance tyres of the Ventus and Winter i*cept lines in 21 inches and, in future, 22 inches will be fitted, among others.
Premium tyre maker Hankook now equips the new Audi SQ8 TDI with its tyres, ex works. Progressive design and pioneering technology characterises the Q family of the Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer, and, the Audi SQ8 TDI, in particular, emphasises the sportiness of the Q8 series: a 435 hp engine with permanent Quattro all-wheel drive and a maximum torque of 900 Newton meters accelerates the vehicle to 100 km/h within 4.8 seconds. The combination of coupé, sports car and SUV with the typical Q8 design elements, such as the octagon single frame radiator grille, is completed by Hankook’s original equipment tyres in 21 or 22 inch sizes. Two Hankook tyre lines are used for the four-door SUV: the ultra-high-performance summer and winter treads Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV and Winter i*cept evo 2 SUV respectively in 285/45 R21 113 Y XL and V XL. In future, a 22-inch summer tyre dimension (Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV in 285/40 R22) will follow.
"We are very pleased that the Audi SQ8 TDI will also come off the production line with Hankook tyres, among others," explained Hyunjun Cho, Head of OE Division. "As a long-standing partner, we have been equipping many particularly sporty Audi models. As with the Audi Q8, we are proud to also be supplying our modern ultra-high performance tyres for the Audi SQ8 TDI."
"The essential requirement in the development process was the tyre design. As with the Audi Q8, the Audi SQ8 TDI, as a large SUV, generally has a higher vehicle load index in order to provide the vehicle load to be fulfilled in combination with the possible high speeds. The durability of the tyre construction was of course particularly important. In addition, we paid special attention to the required vehicle attributes in both wet and dry conditions," explained Moonhwa Hong, Vice President of OE Development Department.
The Ventus S1 evo 3 is constructed with “bead packing”, a special nylon material in the sidewall area, which increases the sidewall strength. The two-layer carcass, and the use of an aramid composite material, reduce the unwanted growth of the unwinding circumference, at high to very high speeds (over 300 km/h), by up to 60 percent compared to previously used fabrics. This gives the tyres significantly better driving stability, and a longer service life, due to less heat generation and thus they retain a consistently high level of grip, even over a very wide temperature range. The sporty dynamic performance, on both dry and wet roads, is guaranteed by a special tread compound using high-performance natural resins.
Source: Hankook
