Nexen Tire to supply OE tires for new Tucson, starting in Korea before expanding to North America and Europe

Nexen Tire announced Monday that it will supply original equipment tires for Hyundai Motor's compact SUV, the All New Tucson.

The supply will begin in South Korea and expand sequentially to North America and Europe. Vehicles sold domestically will be fitted with the Roadian GTX in 17 inches and the Nfera Supreme S in 18, 19 and 20 inches. The North American market will receive the same tire lineup, starting with internal combustion engine models by the end of this year and extending to hybrid models in the first quarter of next year.

For the European market, Nexen Tire plans to supply the Nfera Primus in 17 and 18 inches and the Nfera Sport in 19 and 20 inches, tailored to local driving conditions.

The Roadian GTX was developed specifically for SUVs. Nexen Tire said it applied a latest-generation EMC that delivers stable performance across a wide range of temperatures, ensuring braking capability and ride comfort regardless of season. The company added that a zigzag tread pattern distributes ground pressure to reduce pulling during driving, while enhanced mileage performance extends the tire replacement interval.

The Nfera Supreme S is the company's flagship tire, developed for high-performance premium vehicles with a focus on quietness and ride comfort. Nexen Tire used an image convolutional neural network — an AI big data technology — to design a low-noise tread pattern that reduces cabin noise intrusion. The company said its "pattern shape retention technology" keeps tire performance consistent even after the tread has worn past 50 percent of the wear indicator depth.

Nexen Tire supplies original equipment tires to global premium automakers including Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, as well as high-volume models with strong regional sales. The company has recently extended its supply relationships with Hyundai Motor and Kia — following the Hyundai Avante and Kia Sorento — to now include the All New Tucson.

"The All New Tucson is a highly sought-after vehicle segment both at home and abroad, so this supply agreement gives us the opportunity to introduce our products to a much wider range of drivers," a Nexen Tire official said. "Since the supply extends beyond Korea to North America and Europe, it will serve as a meaningful opportunity to further strengthen our brand recognition in global markets."