Hankook Truck Winter Tyres Add Wear-Activated Tread

Hankook has introduced a new generation of Smart Control winter truck tyres at IAA Transportation 2026, replacing its AW02 and DW07 products with the AW53 steer and DW53 drive tyres. The new designs use tread features that progressively become exposed as the tyres wear, with Hankook targeting winter and wet-road performance later in their service life.

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Hankook’s Smart Control AW53 and DW53 have made their debut at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover, adding a wear-activated tread design to the manufacturer’s severe-winter truck range.

The AW53 is designed for steering axles and will replace the Smart Control AW02, while the DW53 is intended for drive axles and succeeds the DW07. Both are designed for demanding winter conditions and use zigzag grooves, 3D sipes and tread-block tie bars to support traction and stability on snow and ice.

The more distinctive element is Hankook’s Hidden Groove technology. Rather than relying solely on the tread features visible when the tyre is new, additional elements are progressively revealed as tread depth decreases.

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At 40% wear, additional 3D sipes become visible. Hankook says these are designed to support tread-block stiffness, grip and rolling resistance. At 70% wear, concealed grooves are exposed, intended to provide additional wet-road grip. Self-regenerating sipes are also incorporated into the tread architecture.

That approach makes performance as the tyre wears an important part of the product proposition. However, Hankook has not published detailed comparative results showing performance at the 40% and 70% wear stages. Its claim that the new Smart Control generation can extend service life by up to 15% is also presented without details of the test conditions, measurement method or baseline used, so it remains a manufacturer claim rather than independently demonstrated fleet performance.

For new-tyre winter performance, Hankook reports results from internal comparison testing conducted at the UTAC Test Centre in Ivalo, Finland. Against the outgoing AW02 and DW07, the company recorded a 2.8% improvement in snow braking, 4% in snow acceleration and 3.7% in snow handling. The tests were conducted at UTAC’s facility, but Hankook describes them as internal comparison tests rather than independent UTAC validation.

Stone ejectors in the main grooves and Y-shaped lateral grooves have also been incorporated to reduce stone retention and protect the tread and carcass. Hankook says a newly developed compound contributes to the balance of grip and durability.

At launch, the Smart Control AW53 is offered in 385/65 R22.5 164K (158L), with a maximum load capacity of 5,000kg per tyre. The DW53 begins with a 315/80 R22.5 156/150L fitment, rated at up to 4,000kg in single configuration or 3,350kg per tyre in twin fitment. Further sizes are planned, although Hankook has not detailed the wider commercial rollout timetable.

Both tyres carry the 3PMSF winter marking and can be regrooved and retreaded, an important consideration for commercial operators seeking to extend casing utilisation beyond the first tread life.

IAA Transportation 2026 runs in Hanover from 15 to 20 September.

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Tags: Hankook, Smart Control AW53, Smart Control DW53, truck winter tyres, commercial vehicle tyres, Hidden Groove, winter truck tyres, 3PMSF tyres, retreadable truck tyres, IAA Transportation 2026

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