Hankook Kinergy GT Review

The Kinergy GT tire is what Hankook refers to as a Grand Touring tire, combining the features of a touring tire with a performance tire in once package.

PROS

  • Excellent grip in wet and dry
  • Comfortable
  • Well priced
  • Some runflat options available

CONS

  • Still not great in wintry weather

 

There’s a lot of technology in this tire to make sure it delivers ideal comfort, but also performance.

Looking at the tread design, there’s a thick center rib for ideal turn-in response and braking performance. It’s divided slightly, unlike a high-performance tire, and this is to make sure there’s still plenty of all-season grip.

Speaking of all-weather performance, there are wider circumferential grooves on the tire to help evacuate water more quickly from the contact patch and allow it to grip at its maximum. Further aiding in that goal is a silica-infused tread compound, which not only gives more grip in the wet and cold, but enhances tread life overall.

Additional lateral grooves help channel water to the side of the tire, while the smaller ones operate to trap now in wintry weather for added grip. Still, we’d recommend proper winter tires if you live somewhere where it snows.

In terms of overall performance the tire makes use of a wider tread shape that sticks out beyond the width of the wheel to maximize the tire’s contact patch with the road. At the same time sidewall stiffness has been increased by five percent over comparable Hankook tires so the tread stays firmly planted on the road under more demanding cornering situations, helping maintain a consistent level of grip.

Impressively, that added stiffness doesn’t impact overall ride quality and this tire remains excellently comfortable.

As an added feather in the cap of this tire, it is an OEM fitment for some premium models, including the BMW X3. Select run-flat options are also available.

Hankook Kinergy GT Price

Pricing for the Hankook Kinergy GT ranges from just over $80 per tire for some 15-inch fitments and goes up to $180 per tire for 19-inch fitments. Retailers may sell for less.

 

Hankook Kinergy GT Warranty

Hankook backs the Kinergy GT with a 70,000 mile tread life warranty. In addition, a standard limited warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship. Any tires deemed defective will be replaced free of charge during the first 2/32-inch of tread life. After that time, and down to the final 2/32-inch if wear, defective tires will be replaced on a pro-rated basis, depending on the amount of tread life left.

Hankook Kinergy GT Sizes

15-inch sizes
185/65/R15
195/65/R15
195/60/R15
205/65/R15

16-inch sizes
205/55/R16
205/60/R16
215/60/R16
205/65/R16
215/55/R16
225/60/R16

17-inch sizes
215/60/R17
215/55/R17
225/45/R17
225/50/R17
225/55/R17
215/50/R17
215/45/R17
225/60/R17
235/65/R17
235/55/R17
235/45/R17
235/50/R17

18-inch sizes
225/55/R18
235/60/R18
235/45/R18
225/45/R18
255/65/R18
215/45/R18
245/45/R18
225/60/R18

19-inch sizes
245/40/R19
235/40/R19
245/45/R19

Are Hankook Kinergy GT Tires Run Flats?

Some versions of the Hankook Kinergy GT come with run flat capability. These are available in limited sizes and feature the letters HRS on the sidewall and in their name. Run flat tires can generally be driven on for up to 50 miles at speed of up to 50 mph thanks to reinforced sidewalls that maintain shape after a puncture. Those looking for info and pricing on the Kinergy GT HRS can find it here.

How Long do Hankook Kinergy GT Tires Last?

You should expect to get roughly 70,000 miles on a set of Kinergy GT tires, assuming you follow the recommended tire rotation procedures as well as maintain properly inflated tires.

Hankook Kinergy GT vs ST

Very similar tires, the Kinergy GT and ST differ in a few small areas, but those unique features make a big difference. Critically, the tire compound for the GT is firmer and gets a 540 UTQG rating compared to 680 for the ST. As a result, the GT should last roughly 70,000 miles compared to 90,000 miles for the ST.

While the ST is slightly quieter, it also features more tread block divisions to help it grip in the wet. The GT, however, is actually slighter better in wet wether. It’s also a few steps better when it comes to outright handling capability and steering feel in the dry. This is due not just to the tread compound, but as a result of the larger tread sections for the center rib, which helps turn-in response. While the shoulder tread blocks are larger with fewer divisions.