Hankook Tire announced that the company will provide the all-new 2016 Toyota Tacoma with its premium highway all-season Dynapro HT tires in the size of P245/75R16S. The Dynapro HT will be equipped 100 percent with the steel wheels standard on the SR and SR5 versions, two of five trim levels of the latest generation of the pickup. Based upon this new contract, Hankook Tire solidifies its relationship with Toyota and raises the brand’s presence in the North American pick-up truck original equipment (OE) market.
Hankook Tire’s first OE contract with Toyota was for its 2013 Corolla. This new agreement will allow Hankook Tire to supply Toyota’s best-selling pickup trucks in North America, diversifying its OE portfolio for the Toyota brand. Demand for pickup trucks in the U.S. is increasing, accounting for approximately 14-15 percent of the light vehicle market, and Hankook Tire aims to reach a wider consumer base through the recent Tacoma OE supply agreement.
Hankook Tire’s Dynapro HT was designed as a premium highway all-season tire for light trucks and SUVs, providing drivers with improved snow traction, lower rolling resistance for improved vehicle fuel economy, and an extended product lifespan. While the tire’s 3.5-percent wider tread offers better driving comfort as well as longer mileage, the Dynapro HT also utilizes a stiff center block and an advanced multi kerf design to provide better handling and noise performance all year round. In addition, the Dynapro HT’s optimized footprint design was developed with the help of advanced computer simulation, creating a more consistent footprint shape that generates less noise and provides excellent grip even in the most extreme driving conditions.
Following its successful OE supply to Ford’s new 2016 F-650/F-750 medium-duty trucks in mid-2015, Hankook Tire has been gradually expanded its truck tire OE business by partnering with various global automakers including Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) and Toyota in North America as well as the Mercedes-Benz Truck for the European market.
