NEXEN TIRE, a leading global tire manufacturer, announced that its winter tire, WINGUARD Sport 3, has won the Product Design category at the 2025 Red Dot Design Award, one of the world’s most prestigious design competitions.
The Red Dot Design Award, organized by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Germany, evaluate entries based on innovation, functionality, durability, and overall design excellence. With this award, NEXEN TIRE has secured Red Dot recognition for the second consecutive year, demonstrating its growing competitiveness in global design.
The WINGUARD Sport 3 impressed judges with its performance-driven design that was tailored for extreme winter conditions. Inspired by the shape of bird wings, the V-shaped tread pattern enhances traction and steering control on snowy roads. A specially formulated compound ensures flexibility even at low temperatures, maintaining grip and delivering reliable performance in harsh winter climates.
Its design excellence extends beyond functionality. The sidewall features dynamic graphic and a snowflake emblem to combine sporty aesthetics with seasonal identity. This blend of visual and functional design contributed to the product’s recognition in the competition.
Notably, the development of WINGUARD Sport 3 incorporated advanced AI-based virtual simulations to optimize tread design before physical testing, accelerating development cycles and maximizing structural precision. The tire is scheduled to be released in the European market during the winter of 2025.
With continued investments in R&D and design innovation, NEXEN TIRE continues to expand its presence as an OE (Original Equipment) supplier to global premium car manufacturers. The company remains committed to enhancing its brand value through innovative product development and cutting-edge technology.
“This award is a testament to NEXEN TIRE’s evolution as a brand that combines technological sophistication with strong design capabilities,” said John Bosco (Hyeon Suk) Kim, CEO of NEXEN TIRE. “We will continue to introduce products that balance driving performance with aesthetic appeal, delivering differentiated brand value in the global market.”
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About NEXEN TIRE
NEXEN TIRE, established in 1942, is a global tire manufacturer headquartered in South Korea. NEXEN TIRE, one of the world’s fastest growing tire manufacturers, currently interacts with approximately 150 countries around the world and owns four manufacturing plants – two in Korea (Yangsan and Changnyeong) and one in Qingdao, China. Another plant in Žatec, the Czech Republic has also begun operation in 2019. NEXEN TIRE produces tires for passenger cars, SUVs, and light trucks with advanced technology and excellence in design. NEXEN TIRE supplies OE tires to global premium car makers in various countries around the world proving its quality and technology of its products. Additionally, the company achieved a grand slam of the world’s top 4 design awards in 2014 for the first time amongst the various tire makers in the world.
For more information, please visit http://www.nexentire.com/international/
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