Kumho Tire rolls out first new tire after Doublestar deal
Kumho Tire Chairman Kim Jong-ho launches the Majesty 9 SOLUS TA 91 tire at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Kumho Tire
By Nam Hyun-woo
Kumho Tire on Wednesday launched its first new tire since drawing investment from China's Doublestar.
The tiremaker held an event to celebrate the launch of the Majesty 9 SOLUS TA91 (Majesty 9), which is an improved version of its Majesty SOLUS tire. More than 350 dealers from across the country attended.
According to Kumho Tire, the Majesty 9 is quieter and offers a more comfortable ride compared with the previous version. This is thanks to a new compound applied to the product and “Sound Harmony Technology,” which contains noise.
Stopping power on snow has improved 20 percent compared with the previous model, the company said.
Design-wise, the Majesty 9 has a hologram on its side and a unique tread pattern.
“We are very grateful for dealers who have believed in and supported us so far,” Kumho Tire Chairman Kim Jong-ho said during the ceremony. “We can proudly say Majesty 9 is the best premium product applied with the best technologies we have, and we will spare no effort for robust sales of this tire.”
Kumho Tire decided last month to accept investment from Doublestar after its union agreed on plans to attract foreign capital and put the company back on track from a liquidity crunch.
Doublestar pledged that Kumho will have an independent management team to run the company and promised to enhance its technological competitiveness.
Kumho Tire also said it will release the Majesty 9 XRP in June, the first comfort tire equipped with run-flat technology produced by a domestic company.
The technology allows a vehicle to be driven up to 80 kilometers at a maximum of 80 kilometers an hour on a flat tire.