A milestone for Laufenn: Premium tyre manufacturer Hankook’s associate brand has been offering high-quality passenger car tyres since 2015. Five years later, the brand added commercial vehicle treads to its portfolio. Today, Laufenn is a global brand that is represented in over 100 countries and as its market presence has grown, so has its product offering. Since its market debut in Europe, Laufenn has extended its range of tyres for passenger cars from a total of 230 sizes to 341 sizes, while its commercial vehicle portfolio now boasts 18 sizes.
“With our associate brand Laufenn, we offer tyres that deliver excellent value for money without compromising on safety, reliability, and quality,” says Jongho Park, President and Chief Operating Officer of Hankook Tire Europe. “Customers benefit from the many years of experience of the Hankook brand and get a product that meets the highest standards. This allows us to create a win-win situation in every respect.”
In its milestone year 2025, Laufenn will further expand its presence and, in addition to its offering in the passenger car replacement market, also supply original equipment tyres for a European car manufacturer. “The demanding process of original equipment tyre development, and the trust placed in the brand by a leading car manufacturer to supply these tyres shows how within just a few years, Laufenn has been embraced not only by end customers, but also by the industry,” emphasises Park.
Steadily growing product portfolio for passenger cars, SUVs and light trucks
Laufenn initially entered the market with summer tyres for passenger cars in the performance and touring segment. This was followed by the X Fit Van summer tyre for SUVs and passenger cars as well as the i Fit, the first winter tyre for Western and Central Europe for passenger cars and SUVs. In the following period, Laufenn expanded into the Northern and Eastern European markets with the i Fit ICE, a studdable winter tyre for passenger cars and SUVs. In addition to summer and winter tyres, today the portfolio also includes all-season tyres. In 2020, Laufenn introduced the enhanced summer tyres S FIT EQ+ and G FIT EQ+. Since its market debut in Europe, Laufenn’s overall market share in Europe has quadrupled.
The S Fit EQ+ qualified for the final round of the current major Auto Bild summer tyre test (6 March 2025 edition). The jury praised the tyre for its “short braking distances, decent reserves during aquaplaning, good comfort and quiet rolling noise.” In the ‘rolling resistance’ and ‘price/running performance’ evaluations, the S Fit EQ+ was ranked in the top ten.
Market launch of Laufenn’s tyre range for commercial vehicles in 2020
Laufenn is also celebrating a milestone in commercial vehicle tyres: In Europe, the brand has been offering treads for trucks, buses and trailers for five years. The offering is aimed primarily at small and medium-sized fleet operators that value the reliability and product quality of an established tyre manufacturer. The commercial vehicle portfolio currently numbers 18 sizes and will be extended in 2025 to include further sizes, starting with 265/70 R19.5 for the trailer tyres LF95 and LR02.
As a further innovation in the truck segment, this year Laufenn is introducing a new digital platform, “Laufenn365”, to simplify the settlement of accidental damage for the brand’s commercial vehicle tyres and to offer customers added protection against unexpected costs. This platform will initially be offered in the UK. Laufenn plans to expand its digital offering and its tyre warranty to other European markets.
Brand reinforcement and future multi-brand strategy
To further increase awareness of its brand Laufenn, Hankook plans to increase investment in marketing measures. Additionally, a new generation of summer and winter treads for passenger cars is set to be launched in the near future.
A current example of Hankook’s strategic brand development is the introduction of Optimo, another associate brand. Optimo complements Hankook’s existing premium and sister brands and covers a market segment exhibiting growing demand for passenger cars. This step underlines Hankook’s strategy of positioning itself as a multi-brand company. With a diversified brand portfolio, Hankook will strengthen its market position in Europe and tailor its offering more specifically to different customer needs.
Partnership with the UEFA Europa Conference League
Since the 2021/22 season, Laufenn has been an official sponsor of the UEFA Europa Conference League. This partnership emphasises the brand’s dynamic growth and strengthens its position in strategically important sales markets.
“Laufenn has established itself as a strong associate brand to Hankook with a steadily expanding portfolio and growing international presence,” sums up Jang Hyuk Moon, Vice President Marketing Department at Hankook Tire Europe. “The brand will continue to focus on quality and customer relationships in order to further build on its success.”
SOURCE: Hankook
