South Korea’s Nexen Tire Co. ranked fourth in the passenger car tire segment of J.D. Power and Associates Inc.’s survey following about a 25 percent on-year rise in sales to the United States last year, said the company Thursday.

According to J.D. Power and Associates, U.S.-based global market and consumer satisfaction research firm, Nexen Tire, ranked fourth among 12 global tire makers in the passenger car tire segment of the 2016 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study. The study is based on responses from 31,977 original owners of 2014 or 2015 model-year vehicles, from October to December 2015, according to J.D. Power.

The study measures tire owner satisfaction in four vehicle segments - luxury, passenger car, performance sport and truck/utility - based on customers’ rating on wear, ride, appearance and traction/handling.

Nexen Tire won total 651 points on a 1,000 point scale in the passenger car segment, following Michelin & Cie., Pirelli & C. SpA. and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and leaving behind globally renowned other global tire makers - Bridgestone Corp. and Continental Tire. The South Korean tire supplier did not make in the list last year due to insufficient samples.

The company saw its sales in 2015 soar more than 25 percent on-year in the American market following the implementation of the U.S. safeguard measures against Chinese tires. It was the first time for the company’s sales in North America outpaced its domestic sales. Its tire sales to the U.S. market are forecast to jump 12.1 percent on-year to 520 billion won ($454.6 million) this year. Its sales to North America accounted for 28 percent of its overall sales, higher than those of its rivals at home.

Nexen Tire is positioned between the tier two and the tier three group in the global tire industry, offering great value for money.

An unnamed company official hoped that the result would strengthen its foothold in the U.S. market, pledging continuous efforts to bolster its product competitiveness through research and development (R&D).

The Korean tiremaker has been making strides in the market as it won the “very good” grade for its all-season tire “N5000 plus” and winter season tire “WinGuard Winspike” from the U.S. Consumer Reports last October.

By Noh Won-myung

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