Audi Picks Kumho Crugen as 19-inch optional OE fitment for Q5 SUV

Kumho Tire has bagged yet another OE fitment from the Volkswagen Group. The Korean tire manufacturer’s Crugen Premium KL33 tire has been selected as an optional OE tire for Audi’s 2020 Q5 luxury compact SUV.

A 19-inch variant of the Kumho Crugen Premium KL33 tire will be used as the optional OE fitment on the 2020 Q5 which Audi assembles at its plant in Mexico for distribution and sale across North America.

Kumho Tire Co. Inc. manufactures the Crugen tires at its factory in Macon, Ga., and sends them to Audi’s assembly plant in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico.

Commenting on the fitment, Kim Insoo, senior vice president of OE sales at Kumho Tire said that it attested to Kumho’s ongoing commitment to excellence. Kumho will be producing 19-inch Crugen Premium KL33 tires in high volume in line with the specifications needed to help Audi’s Q5 deliver its optimal performance.

Insoo said, “Demand for SUVs in the United States 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 Q5’s standard OE fitment is a 235/60R18.

The Q5 can accelerate from 0-60 mph acceleration in just 5.9 seconds and has a towing capacity of 4,400 pounds thanks to its 2-liter, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine. This engine is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Kumho said that it had developed the Crugen series in line with the growing popularity of urban SUVs. The Crugen KL33 tire incorporates a silica compound that enhances tire life, reduces rolling resistance and increases traction. The tire’s compound and symmetric tread pattern keep tire noise levels to a minimum while improving comfort and handling.

According to data from Automotive News, over 67,000 Q5 SUVs were sold in the United States in 2019.

The Crugen KL33 has also been selected as the OE fitment for the seven-seater Atlas SUV that Volkswagen’s subsidiary in the United States, Volkswagen of America Inc. makes.