KENDA made a significant impact at The Tire Cologne 2024 by unveiling four new automotive tyres specifically designed for the European market. Developed through the KENDA Europe Technical Centre (KETC) in Germany, these tyres demonstrate KENDA’s commitment to safety and performance tailored to European driving conditions. Additionally, KENDA announced the full incorporation of its daughter company STARCO into KENDA Europe, marking a new chapter in its growth strategy.
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The four new automotive products launched at the event represent KENDA’s latest advancements, engineered with a safety-first mindset:
KR606 Kenetica SUV: A summer tyre designed for compact and mid-size SUVs, featuring outstanding wet grip.
KR504 Wintergen 2 SUV: A winter tyre optimised for European winter conditions, complementing the summer tyre offering.
KR615 Klever A/T 4S: An all-season 4x4 tyre with enhanced off-road handling, expanding the popular Klever series.
KR105 Komendo 4S: A new all-season commercial van tyre boasting excellent wet grip.
Much of the development and testing of these new tyres were conducted at the KENDA Europe Technical Centre, which employs over 20 dedicated engineers. The centre is also working on an all-season Electric Vehicle (EV) tyre for the European market, focusing on smaller SUVs and passenger cars. This EV tyre aims to meet all EV requirements, including higher weight carrying abilities, lower rolling resistance, and lower noise levels, while maintaining great traction and handling.
In a keynote speech, Jimmy Yang, president of the KENDA Group, announced the full integration of STARCO into KENDA Europe as a new Specialty business unit. STARCO, which has been manufacturing and supplying specialty wheel and tyre solutions since 1961, will now concentrate on delivering solutions within three segments: Agriculture, Outdoor & Utility, and Trailer & Caravan.
“Many people ask me; why the name KENDA? KENDA is a direct translation from a Chinese word meaning that you are building something big. You never stop growing. You continue making progress,” said Yang. The incorporation of STARCO strengthens KENDA’s commitment to its European focus and growth.
By uniting automotive, bicycle, and specialty (including powersports) tyres under one European brand, KENDA aims to strengthen its market position. The goal is to increase product availability by utilising STARCO’s extensive European distribution network and expanding existing distributor partnerships. This strategy aims to offer both smaller volume deliveries with shorter lead times from European distribution centres and direct-from-factory deliveries.
KENDA’s showcase at The Tire Cologne 2024 was a resounding success, attracting visitors and customers from both inside and outside Europe. The stand featured the entire KENDA Automotive product range, as well as selected bicycle and specialty tyres. The event also saw KENDA Europe’s sponsored drift driving champions, Hunter Taylor and Fredric Aasbø, who race with KENDA’s UHP Vezda tyres, meeting with visitors.
Henno Plaggenborg, Director of the Automotive Division at KENDA Europe, expressed his satisfaction with the event: “The positive feedback we’ve had is testament to the efforts involved in bringing new automotive products to the market specifically designed for European requirements and conditions. We are proud to have built a business which doesn’t just sell products but acts as a true partner for our customers, helping prepare them to face the future challenges of an increasingly competitive market.”
Read more about KENDA Europe here.
