ATLANTA—Audi A.G. has selected a 19-inch version of the Kumho Crugen Premium KL33 as the optional OE fitment on the car maker's 2020-model Q5 luxury compact SUV, which Audi assembles in Mexico for sale throughout North America.
Kumho Tire Co. Inc. produces the Crugen model at its plant in Macon, Ga., and ships them to Audi's assembly plant in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico.
"As a testament of our ongoing commitment to excellence, our products will be produced in high volume and made to fit the specifications of Audi's Q5," Kim Insoo, senior vice president of OE sales at Kumho Tire, said. "Demand for SUVs in the U. S. is booming, and we will remain devoted to developing our SUV tires to satisfy the needs of all our customers."
The Kumho OE fitment for the five-passenger, four-door, all-wheel-drive hatchback Q5 is 235/55R19, which carries an H speed rating. The vehicle's standard fitment is a 235/60R18.
The Q5 is powered by a 2-liter, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine matched with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, yielding 0-60 mph acceleration of 5.9 seconds and a towing capacity of 4,400 pounds.
Kumho said it developed the Crugen series in line with the emergence of urban SUVs. The Crugen KL33 features a silica compound for enhanced traction, tire life and reduced rolling resistance, Kumho said.
The compound and symmetric tread pattern help improve comfort and handling while also reducing noise generation.
VW sold more than 67,000 Q5 SUVs in the U.S. last year, according to data from Automotive News.
The Crugen KL33 also is OE on Volkswagen of America Inc.'s Atlas seven-passenger SUV.