Tire brand
Roadstone
Roadstone is a South Korean tire brand owned by Nexen Tire Corporation, where it serves as the affordable, value-oriented product line.
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Brand profile
Roadstone is a South Korean tire brand owned by Nexen Tire Corporation, where it serves as the affordable, value-oriented product line. It covers passenger car, SUV and light-truck tires, available in summer, winter and all-season versions. Distributed in roughly 120 countries, Roadstone targets drivers looking for sensible value for money, with products manufactured by Nexen in Korea, China and the Czech Republic.
Positioning: Affordable tires for passenger cars, SUVs and light trucks, made by Nexen Tire (South Korea).
History
Roadstone traces its origins to the same company as the Nexen Tire brand, founded in 1942 as the Heung-A Tire Company and recognized as South Korea's first tire manufacturer. Over the decades, the maker changed names, becoming Woosung Tire before adopting the name Nexen Tire Corporation in 2000, a blend of "next" and "century" ("the tire of the next century"). In 1985, the company opened a plant in Yangsan dedicated to radial-ply tires, a key step in its modernization. The Roadstone name was kept as an associated brand, positioned in the budget segment of the portfolio, while Nexen serves as the flagship brand. In 2005, the manufacturer was granted a patent for a layered rubber/silicate nanocomposite technology, and in 2006 it developed manufacturing capabilities for ultra-high-performance and winter tires for light trucks and SUVs. To support its growth, Nexen opened a plant in Qingdao, China, in 2007. Its domestic market share rose from 8% to 20% in the mid-2000s, with annual revenue surpassing 600 million dollars. The expansion continued with a second Korean plant in Changnyeong, whose tires mainly supply original equipment for premium automakers. In 2019, the manufacturer reached a major milestone by inaugurating, on August 28, its first European plant in Zatec, Czech Republic, within the strategic Triangle industrial zone: an investment of roughly one billion dollars on a 650,000-square-meter site, designed around eco-friendly processes inspired by the Changnyeong plant. The group also structures its global research network with the Central Research Institute in Seoul as well as R&D centers in Europe and North America. In North America, Nexen and Roadstone products are distributed through the company's own networks and independent resellers, making the brand accessible to Canadian drivers, including in Quebec, through retailers and distributors.
Technologies
Roadstone tires are built on the technologies developed by parent company Nexen Tire, whose research network extends from Korea to Europe and North America. The manufacturer notably patented a layered rubber/silicate nanocomposite technology in 2005, which acts on the rubber compound to improve the balance between grip, rolling resistance and durability. Modern lines incorporate silica-enriched compounds, which enhance wet traction and reduce rolling resistance, and therefore fuel consumption. The tread pattern design aims for a compromise between acoustic comfort, water evacuation and tread longevity. For winter, Roadstone draws on Nexen's developments in low-temperature flexible compounds and multiple sipes, designed to keep the rubber supple and maintain bite on snow and ice.
Innovations
Innovation at Roadstone comes directly from Nexen Tire's research and development, structured around the Central Research Institute in Seoul and R&D centers in Europe and North America. The 2005 patent on the layered rubber/silicate nanocomposite illustrates the group's efforts in materials science to optimize rubber compounds. As early as 2006, the manufacturer completed the development of ultra-high-performance (UHP) manufacturing capabilities and winter tires for light trucks and SUVs, broadening its expertise into demanding segments. On the sustainability front, the European plant in Zatec, opened in 2019, was designed around eco-friendly processes replicating those of the Korean plant in Changnyeong, a sign of attention paid to the environmental footprint of production. This shared technological foundation allows the budget-oriented Roadstone line to benefit from advances drawn from higher-end Nexen products, particularly in wet grip and winter behavior.
Manufacturing
Roadstone does not own its own plants: its tires are manufactured in Nexen Tire's facilities. The head office is located in Yangsan, in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, with an additional office in Seoul. Nexen operates two Korean plants, in Yangsan (radials since 1985) and in Changnyeong, a plant in Qingdao, China (2007), as well as a European plant in Zatec, Czech Republic, inaugurated in 2019. There is no plant in Canada or Quebec: the brand is present there through distribution. Roadstone tires reach Quebec drivers through North American distributors and retailers, making it a locally accessible option.
Reputation
Roadstone is seen as a budget brand offering attractive value for money, backed by the industrial credibility of Nexen Tire. In independent tests and reviews, its tires generally fall into the budget category: solid performance for everyday use, without matching premium brands on the track or in extreme conditions. For Quebec, relevance depends on the model: only winter tires bearing the three-peak mountain and snowflake pictogram (3PMSF) comply with the provincial requirement in effect from December 1 to March 15. Roadstone's Winguard and Eurovis Alpine lines are aimed specifically at this winter use. Summer or all-season models without 3PMSF certification do not, on their own, meet this requirement and are best suited to the other three seasons.
Models and families
Related Roadstone models
These families are presented for reference. Actual availability depends on the catalogue and sizes.