HANOVER, Germany—iF International Forum Design GmbH has awarded its iF Design Award for 2020 to Federal Tire Corp., Kumho Tire Co. Inc., Nexen Tire Corp. and Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. for recently launched products.
The awards are part of the Hanover-based independent design institution's Automobile/Vehicles category in Product Discipline.
The award is judged by an international committee of 78 independent experts from among 7,298 entries submitted from 56 countries. The committee judged the product's uniqueness, execution and workmanship, as well as aesthetics.
Tires singled out by the jury for 2020 were:
- Federal's Xplora R/T light truck tire;
- Kumho's Majesty Solus TA91 all-season ultra-high-performance tire;
- Nexen's N'Fera Primus European-style UHP tire; and
- Yokohama's Advan Apex UHP tire.
According to Taiwan-based Federal, the Xplora R/T "provides rugged consumers the optimum balancing act for on/off-road excursions," that provides off-road durability and diminished road noise.
Federal said its open grooves deliver enhanced off-road traction and good dispersion of water and sludge, while its proprietary compounds offer protection from external damage and provide durability against rubber deterioration and aging.
Joe Kao, operations manager of Federal Tire North America, called the award "truly monumental to the Federal Tires brand and products. ... Federal Tires will continue to improve our product competitiveness through continuous R&D, bold thinking and innovative design."
The Kumho Majesty 9 is an upgraded version of the Majesty Solus that features sidewalls decorated with a hologram that changes form, depending on the angle of the light, while the tread carries an eye-pleasing repeating design of geometric patterns and curves, Kumho said.
Yokohama describes the Advan Apex as a Y speed-rated maximum-grip tire developed for the North American marketplace.
The Federal Xplora R/T and Kumho Majesty Solus TA91 previously received the Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.
The iF Design Award marks the ninth time that Federal has won for one of its products since 2013.