Nexen Tire: Brand overview
Nexen Tire, originally known as Heung-A Tire Company, was founded in 1942 and became a well-known tire manufacturer in South Korea. 1985, the company rebranded and became known as Nexen Tire, signifying its independence from the parent corporation.
Nexen Tire has a global network of manufacturing facilities in South Korea, China, and the United States and is headquartered in Yangsan, South Korea. The company’s products include passenger cars, SUVs, light trucks, and commercial vehicles. These high-quality tires are distributed worldwide.
Nexen Tire’s extensive customer base is supplying original equipment (OE) tires to well-known automakers such as Toyota, Honda, GM, and Chrysler for factory assembly. In addition to OE tires, Nexen offers replacement tires in the retail market under brands such as N’Fera and Roadian.
A significant contribution to Nexen’s technology portfolio is the N’Fera line of off-road tires. These are designed to provide excellent handling, braking, and traction, even on wet or snow-covered surfaces. As part of its strategic diversification drive, Nexen Tire was acquired in 2021 by a large South Korean conglomerate, KHNP (Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power).
As of 2021, Nexen employs over 9,000 employees worldwide and has over $2 billion annual revenues. With tire sales in over 150 countries, Nexen has cemented its reputation as a key player in the international tire industry.
Meaning and History
What is Nexen Tire?
It is a tire manufacturer specializing in products for passenger cars, crossovers, SUVs, and commercial vehicles. The range includes summer, winter, and all-season tires focusing on comfort, grip, durability, and fuel efficiency. The company develops rubber compounds and tread patterns tailored to various road and climate conditions and actively collaborates with automakers for original equipment fitments.
1942 – today
The Nexen Tire logo has several elements and is designed in a minimalist style. The top part features the word “NEXEN,” created in an original graphic typeface in a purple shade. A unique aspect of the word is that it’s a palindrome—it reads the same forward and backward. The logo’s designers used this feature by rendering the last letters “E” and “N” as mirror images of the initial “N” and “E.” The resulting composition resembles a visual trick in skateboarding videos, where a movement is repeated forward and backward, creating symmetry and harmony.
All the letters in the word “NEXEN” are connected by horizontal lines above and below, visually resembling two stable roads that support the composition. These lines are in the same purple color, adding a sense of unity to the design. The purple shade evokes the look of a royal robe, suggesting prestige and elegance while maintaining a calm and stylish feel.
The lower part of the logo contains the text “NEXEN TIRE” in black, using a clean modern typeface with gently rounded corners. The font is chosen for clarity and gives a friendly impression, inviting interaction and communication with the company. The spacing between characters is carefully balanced, maintaining precision and neatness in the lettering.
Using two colors—purple and black—adds contrast and visual strength. The purple represents ambition and confidence, while the black text emphasizes the brand’s seriousness and professionalism.
The mirrored letters and connected elements of the logo convey a sense of teamwork and versatility. The palindromic name and strong horizontal lines reflect balance and stability, reinforcing the company’s position in the market. The logo projects a modern and reliable image, pointing to Nexen Tire’s leadership in the automotive industry.