Hankook Winter I*cept Tires

Winter driving presents a unique set of challenges for any tire, and in most cases, all-season tires are just not up to the task when it comes to performance in snow and slush. Winter tires are designed with more than just an aggressive specialty tread pattern for winter driving - they also use a softer, more flexible tread formulation that will stay pliable for grip in subfreezing weather when most all-season tires might stiffen up and lose traction. That softer tread compound will wear prematurely on warmer days, which is why tire manufacturers advise against using them if temperatures are above 40-45 degrees F. Today’s winter tires have come a long way from the heavy, noisy, clumsy “snow tires’ or “mud grips” that were on your grandpa’s Buick wagon back in the 70s. The latest generations of winter tires are designed in collaboration with automakers and are engineered for the weight, torque, power, handling, suspension, and braking performance of today’s vehicles, with ride quality, noise levels, and road manners that rival premium all-season and grand touring tires.

Hankook is one of South Korea’s oldest and most respected tire manufacturers, one that has gone on to become a multinational company with worldwide distribution. Their Icept family of winter tires for sedans, coupes, minivans, crossovers, and SUVs are loaded with next-generation features and innovations, for phenomenal value and performance in difficult winter conditions. The Icept series of tires have the M+S certification for mud/snow traction and the 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake rating for severe winter service, and many are covered by a limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty (a rarity in the world of winter tires). Let’s go in and take a closer look at what the Hankook Winter I*cept lineup of tires has to offer

Hankook Winter I*cept iZ3

The Winter Icept iZ3 is ready for the worst that winter weather can throw your way, with a next-generation tread compound infused with highly refined resins and flexible polymer chains for improved performance on ice (and 9% shorter braking distances on ice compared to the competition). Optimized curing helps reduce rolling resistance for improved fuel economy, and its wider shoulder block is part of an optimized contact patch that improves weight distribution, braking performance, traction, and handling. The Winter Icept iZ3’s winter tread design features an aggressive directional tread pattern with sweeping V-shaped grooves to evacuate water from the tire’s contact patch and resist hydroplaning. A system of serrated 3D sipes multiplies traction and surface area with hundreds of thin biting edges to slice through snow and slush, and their extra-deep design means they continue to enhance grip even as the tread depth gets thinner. The Winter I*cept iZ3 is covered by Hankook with a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty.

Hankook Winter I*cept iZ3 X

Snow, slush, and ice aren’t a problem for the Hankook Winter Icept iZ3 X. The Winter Icept iZ3 X is designed with Hankook’s specialized winter tread formulation and an innovative directional tread design that includes V-shaped and angled grooves, with ice-edge slits and zigzag sipes that chew through heavy snow and slush. The wide, reinforced shoulder blocks of the Winter Icept iZ3 X give it enhanced cornering ability and control, and its serrated 3D sipes are cut deeply enough into the tread to go on delivering traction even as tread depth starts to wear down. The Winter Icept iZ3 X is covered by Hankook with a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty.

Hankook Winter I*cept evo3

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Kdzdw8txHHSbIB4sQjAbwEiD5n2xAS-0 The Winter I*cept evo3 shares its tread formulation with other tires in the Hankook Winter Icept family, but its directional tread design includes an optimized zigzag lateral groove design for improved handling and steering response and a distinctive “gullwing” shaped series of secondary grooves toward the center tread blocks that improve braking and acceleration traction on snow. 3D GripKontrol sipes add to the tread’s surface area and multiply traction with hundreds of fine edges to dig into snow and slush. The “water pipe” sipe design and wider circumferential grooves (20% wider than the competition) help to reduce hydroplaning by channeling water away from the tire’s contact patch. The Winter Icept evo3 is covered by a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty.

Hankook Winter I*cept evo3 X

Here’s the perfect solution for a winter tire that offers nimble handling, great ride quality, and composed road manners along with confident winter grip: the Hankook Winter Icept evo3 X. The Winter I*cept evo3 X borrows many of the features from Hankook’s other Winter Icept tires, including the “water pipe” sipe and wider circumferential grooves for water evacuation and resistance to hydroplaning. 3D GripKontrol sipes help slash through snow and slush, and Hankook’s pine oil-enhanced Winter Control tread compound stays flexible in subfreezing weather for enhanced traction, control, and braking performance. The wide, reinforced shoulders of the Winter I*cept evo3 X are designed for excellent cornering ability and handling on wet, dry, or snowy pavement, helping the tire resist the forward momentum of the vehicle and track accurately and predictably around a turn.

Hankook Winter I*cept iZ2

The tread design of the Winter I*cept iZ2 features denser tread blocks and an altered pitch to its directional tread design, helping to enhance grip through snow, slush, and ice. Lateral and longitudinal grooves are longer, by as much as 20%, which enhances traction and routing of water and slush away from the tire’s contact patch. “Z-grip” shoulder blocks disperse weight and stresses evenly at the shoulder’s edge for enhanced handling and responsiveness. A system of 3D sipes and angled ice-edge slits give the Winter Icept iZ2 more surface area and multiply traction with extra biting edges to claw through snow and slush, and innovative “spiral boosters” embedded in the tread drain snow and water for better acceleration and braking on snow or ice. Its redesigned contact patch puts more rubber in contact with the road for improved braking and handling, and Hankook stands by the Winter Icept iZ2 with a 40,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty.