Personal Experience of the Changes

I bought my first car around 2015. At that time, Kumho Tires had pretty good brand recognition among domestic brands and offered reasonable prices. So I chose Kumho Tires without much thought, and honestly, I had no major complaints at the time. They were quiet and provided a comfortable ride.

But about three years later, when I went to replace the tires, the garage owner cautiously told me: "Kumho isn't what it used to be these days. Try something else." I was shocked. This was a brand I had trusted, and now industry professionals were saying this.

I later learned that the Chinese company Double Star had acquired Kumho Tires in 2018. I thought, "Wouldn't Chinese capital infusion make them bigger?" but reality proved the opposite. There were many stories about reduced technology investment, R&D personnel leaving, and internal turmoil.

I recently switched to Hankook Tires, and I could definitely feel the difference in driving performance and quietness. I was surprised that tires alone could make such a difference. And I think that difference might have been the beginning of the crisis Kumho Tires is experiencing now.

The Reality of Slipping Global Rankings

In the past, Kumho Tires maintained a position around the top 10 globally. There was a sense of pride that "Korean tires can compete globally," but now their ranking has dropped significantly. While exact rankings vary slightly each year, it's clear they've fallen far from the top tier.

Why is this happening? For one, competitors are growing rapidly. Particularly, Hankook Tire is focusing on developing tires for electric vehicles while continuously expanding partnerships with global automakers. The global tire market is changing rapidly, and Kumho failed to keep up with these changes.

Kumho remains focused on products for internal combustion engine vehicles, and their presence in the premium product segment is weak. When I mention Kumho Tires to friends overseas, more people say they haven't heard of them. Lack of global marketing seems to have significantly impacted their declining ranking.

In the past, making good tires at low prices was enough to be competitive in the global market, but now you need technology, eco-friendliness, and brand story. Kumho was unprepared in these aspects. Ultimately, as consumers increasingly choose other brands, Kumho's global ranking has suffered.

Complacent Strategy That Failed to Stop the Decline

This is just my personal opinion, but I think Kumho Tires became too complacent with their "domestic success." Their past success actually became a hindrance.

For example, Hankook Tire continues to refresh its brand through sports marketing, ESG management, and sustainability emphasis. But Kumho was too passive about these changes. They seemed to focus only on existing customers with little attempt to appeal to new generations.

Another disappointment was their communication with consumers. These days, brands need to speak, empathize, and communicate like people to survive. But Kumho lacked this "emotional approach."

Consumers like me don't choose products just because they're cheap. What's more important is what values the brand stands for and how seriously they take my safety. But I didn't feel that message from Kumho.

That's why I think Kumho's decline stems not just from technological issues but from a lack of brand philosophy and strategy. Tires aren't just car parts—they're products connected to "trust," and I think Kumho needs to take this more seriously.

Conclusion

Kumho Tires was once a source of "national pride" for me. Unfortunately, I don't trust them as much as I used to. While they still have models that offer decent performance for the price, they need more than that to survive in the global market.

Technology, brand strategy, and consumer communication. Kumho Tires can make another leap forward only when these three elements are properly in place. And we consumers need to develop the discernment to judge which products are truly trustworthy, rather than choosing based solely on brand name.

If you're considering replacing your tires now, I hope you'll look beyond just "cheap and reliable" options and consider the values and philosophy behind them. That's what truly makes a "wise choice."

Kumho Tires vs Hankook Tires Comparison

亲身感受到的变化

我在2015年左右买了第一辆车。当时，韩泰轮胎在国内品牌中知名度相当高，价格也合理。所以我没有多想就选择了韩泰轮胎，说实话当时并没有什么不满。安静且驾驶感舒适。

但大约三年后更换轮胎时，维修厂老板谨慎地告诉我："现在的韩泰不如从前了。试试别的品牌吧。" 那一刻我有些震惊。这是我曾经信任的品牌，现在业内专业人士都这么说。

后来我了解到，中国公司双星在2018年收购了韩泰轮胎。我原本想"中国资本注入不是会让它变得更大吗？"，但现实恰恰相反。有很多关于技术投资减少、研发人员流失、内部氛围混乱的传闻。

我最近换用了韩国轮胎的产品，在驾驶性能和静音性方面确实感受到了明显差异。我很惊讶轮胎 alone 能造成如此大的差别。我想这种差异可能就是韩泰轮胎当前面临危机的开始。

全球排名逐渐下滑的现实

事实上，韩泰轮胎曾经保持全球前10名左右的位置。曾经有一种"国产轮胎也能在全球市场上立足"的自豪感，但现在排名已经大幅下降。虽然具体排名每年略有不同，但明显已经远离第一梯队。

为什么会这样？首先，竞争对手的增长势头迅猛。特别是韩国轮胎专注于开发电动汽车专用轮胎，同时不断扩大与全球汽车制造商的合作伙伴关系。全球轮胎市场正在快速变化，而韩泰未能跟上这些变化。

韩泰仍然专注于内燃机汽车产品，在高端产品领域的存在感很弱。当我对海外朋友提到韩泰轮胎时，更多的人表示没听说过。缺乏全球营销似乎对其排名下降产生了重大影响。

过去，制造价格低廉的好轮胎就足以在全球市场上具有竞争力，但现在需要技术、环保性和品牌故事。韩泰在这些方面准备不足。最终，随着消费者越来越多地选择其他品牌，韩泰的全球排名也随之下降。

未能阻止下滑的安逸战略

这只是我的个人看法，但我认为韩泰轮胎过于安于"国内成功"。过去的成功反而成了阻碍。

例如，韩国轮胎通过体育营销、ESG管理和强调可持续性来不断更新品牌形象。但韩泰对这些变化过于被动。他们似乎只关注现有客户，几乎没有尝试吸引新世代。

另一个令人失望的是他们与消费者的沟通。如今，品牌需要像人一样说话、共情和沟通才能生存。但韩泰缺乏这种"情感化 approach"。

像我这样的消费者不仅仅因为便宜就选择产品。更重要的是品牌代表什么价值观，以及他们多么认真地对待我的安全。但我没有从韩泰感受到这种信息。

因此，我认为韩泰的下降不仅仅源于技术问题，而是品牌理念和战略的缺失。轮胎不仅仅是汽车零件——它们是连接"信任"的产品，我认为韩泰需要更认真地对待这一点。

结论

韩泰轮胎曾经是我"民族自豪感"的源泉。遗憾的是，我不像以前那样信任它们了。虽然它们仍然有一些性价比不错的型号，但要想在全球市场上生存，需要的远不止这些。

技术、品牌战略和消费者沟通。只有这三个要素都到位，韩泰轮胎才能再次飞跃。而我们消费者需要培养判断哪些产品真正值得信赖的眼光，而不是仅仅根据品牌名称选择。

如果您正在考虑更换轮胎，希望您不仅能看"便宜可靠"的选择，还能考虑其背后的价值和理念。这才是真正的"明智选择"。

韩泰轮胎 vs 韩国轮胎对比