Tire brand
Nexen
Excellent value for the money — a complete lineup.
IntermédiaireHiverPerformanceCamionnette
Brand profile
Nexen Tire is a South Korean tire manufacturer founded in 1942, with its headquarters in Yangsan, South Korea. The brand mainly designs touring tires, performance tires, and tires for sport utility vehicles and light trucks. Present in roughly 120 countries, Nexen is positioned in the mid-range, value-for-the-money segment and operates its own plants in Korea, China, and the Czech Republic.
Positioning: Positioning: Touring, performance, SUV, and light-truck tires in all-season and winter categories.
History
Nexen Tire is one of South Korea's oldest tire manufacturers. The company was established in 1942 as the Heung-A Tire Company in Busan, where it first produced bicycle tires and inner tubes. In the 1950s, it became the first recognized Korean manufacturer of automobile tires. Over the decades, the company was renamed Woosung Tire, and in 2000 it adopted its current name, Nexen — a portmanteau of "next" and "century" that expresses its ambition to become the "tire of the next century." In 1985, the company opened its Yangsan plant, dedicated to the production of modern radial tires. Growth then accelerated internationally: in 2007-2008, Nexen opened a plant in Qingdao, China, to meet global demand. The group also developed its Changnyeong plant, presented as one of the largest and most automated in the world, where many original-equipment tires are manufactured for well-known automakers. In August 2019, Nexen opened its first European production site in Žatec, Czech Republic, the result of an investment of roughly one billion dollars. A second phase, completed in January 2024, aims to sharply increase this plant's capacity in order to serve the European market locally. Nexen Tire is publicly traded on the Korea Exchange and exports its products to around a hundred countries. In North America, the brand has established itself through distribution and original-equipment fitments. In Canada, Nexen Tire Canada strengthened its presence in June 2026 with the opening of a distribution center in Guelph, Ontario, intended to hold local inventory year-round, reduce lead times, and improve the availability of winter and summer tires for Canadian retailers, including those in Quebec.
Technologies
Nexen relies on a combination of rubber compounds and tread designs tailored to each application. As early as 2005, the company obtained a patent for a layered rubber-silicate nanocomposite technology aimed at improving tire durability and performance. Its road tire lines use silica-enriched compounds to combine wet grip with low rolling resistance, benefiting fuel economy. The brand's all-season and winter tires use designs with wide longitudinal grooves for water evacuation, multi-directional sipes for traction on snow and ice, and rigid shoulder blocks for cornering stability. Several all-season and winter models carry the 3PMSF certification (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol), a mark of capability in severe winter conditions.
Innovations
Nexen invests in research and development through technical centers in Korea, North America, and Europe, and continues to secure original-equipment contracts with automakers, which pushes the brand to raise its quality standards. Its new European plant in Žatec is designed to quickly apply technologies developed at these global R&D centers. On the motorsport side, Nexen gained recognition by sponsoring drivers in the Formula Drift series in North America, a showcase for its performance tires. The brand has also gained visibility through partnerships outside the automotive world, notably as a sponsor of the Manchester City soccer club. On the sustainability front, the company is developing low-rolling-resistance compounds that promote fuel economy and is working to incorporate more energy-efficient manufacturing processes at its newest plants, including those in Changnyeong and Žatec.
Manufacturing
Nexen Tire's headquarters are located in Yangsan, South Korea, a city that is also home to one of its historic plants (radial tires since 1985). The group operates a second large-scale Korean plant in Changnyeong, highly automated and geared toward original-equipment production. Internationally, Nexen produces tires in China at Qingdao (opened in 2007-2008) and in Europe at Žatec, Czech Republic (inaugurated in 2019, expanded in 2024). In Canada, Nexen has no plant but handles distribution through Nexen Tire Canada, which in June 2026 opened a distribution center in Guelph, Ontario, to supply retailers, including those in Quebec.
Reputation
Nexen has a reputation as a brand offering good value for the money, positioned in the mid-range — below premium brands while delivering higher quality than entry-level tires. Its original-equipment contracts with automakers and its presence in specialized testing have bolstered its credibility. For Quebec motorists, the brand's 3PMSF-certified all-season and winter models are relevant: Quebec law requires approved winter tires from December 1 to March 15, and certain 3PMSF all-season tires from Nexen meet this requirement. The opening of the Guelph distribution center improves the availability of these products in Canada ahead of the cold season.
Models and families
Related Nexen models
These families are presented for reference. Actual availability depends on the catalogue and sizes.