Hankook Tire said Wednesday that it has signed a contract with BMW to supply its high-performance tires to the German carmaker’s premium sport utility vehicle X5.

This is the tire maker’s fifth supply deal with BMW, following those for the BMW Mini and the BMW 1, 3 and 5 Series sedans.

The Ventus S1 Evo is an ultra-high-performance tire product designed exclusively for SUVs that reduces rolling resistance and allows for more fuel-efficient driving, the company said.

“Supplying our original equipment tires to the BMW X5 means a lot considering the global SUV market is soaring recently. We will continue to expand our supply of SUV tires,” said Suh Seung-hwa, vice chairman and CEO of Hankook Tire.

(jylee@heraldcorp.com)