Not long ago, representatives of South Korean manufacturer Hankook Tire were saying that the company would soon rank among the world's top five tire makers. At the time, Hankook was already in seventh place, with annual revenues of more than US$6.2 billion.

Hankook also told us that its annual tire production exceeds 102 million units, while the company employs some 22,000 people across eight plants, five research and development centres, and 36 local branches. You have no doubt also noticed that Hankook is heavily involved in motorsports, supplying tires for the World Rally Championship as well as the Formula E World Championship.

Hankook's Canadian division is certainly no stranger to this kind of performance. Still, it has to deal with a reality that is very much our own here at home: winter tires, or better yet, so-called all-weather rated tires. In case you did not know, rated all-weather tires are true four-season tires that motorists can keep on their vehicles year-round, since they carry the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol.

Even so, there are still many technicians — and so-called experts — who do not recommend them in our snowy regions. Wanting to find out for ourselves, we put two sets of tires to the test: the Hankook Weatherflex GT and the Laufenn G-Fit 4S.

This test began earlier, last summer, with the installation of Laufenn 225/50 R17 tires on my own 2012 Lincoln MKZ, in order to assess their handling on dry and wet pavement, and especially the level of road noise they might generate.

First, it should be noted that the Laufenn brand was launched in 2014 by Hankook itself as a second-generation product, priced a little lower for motorists on a tighter budget. Incidentally, the name Laufenn is said to be inspired by the German verb laufen, meaning to run, move quickly or sprint.

These tires were therefore used throughout the warm season, and with satisfying results. They were even used on three short road trips lasting a few days each and, once again, although the car was already quiet to begin with, very little road noise reached our ears, even when the pavement surface changed frequently.

However, it was especially on wet pavement that the Laufenns proved to be highly effective, which was much appreciated. It should also be noted that the tread pattern looks strikingly similar to that of the Michelin CrossClimate 2.

Last fall, Hankook offered me the opportunity to test its Weatherflex GT, a premium product from the South Korean manufacturer designed to compete with the now very popular CrossClimate 2. We therefore installed the Laufenn G-Fit 4S tires on a second-generation Ford Fusion, whose tire size was identical to that of the Lincoln.

They then went through the winter in the Sherbrooke region, where roads can be slippery and hilly. Despite the cold and snowy winter we experienced, the vehicle's main driver found the Laufenns very reassuring in snow and effective on icy roads. 'A bit like studded tires,' she added — and she is an experienced driver who often spends time on the highway.

As for the Weatherflex GTs, they proved fully up to the task, especially in deep snow, even though the car was front-wheel drive only. The ultimate test came when it was time to back out of a sloped driveway after a heavy snowfall. All it took was disabling traction control, and the car backed out as though nothing were in its way. Their behaviour on ice was also surprisingly good, rivaling that of the Michelins tested earlier.

Testing will continue over the coming months. Incidentally, while the Weatherflex retails for around $200 per tire, the Laufenn G-Fit 4S sells for about $150 in the sizes mentioned above.