Hankook Tire Co Ltd has stepped up to the premium tire market by supplying tires to Daimler AG for the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class and E-Class sedans, said the tire maker on Monday. South Korea's top tire maker had been eager to expand, and this deal with Daimler is a step up in brand recognition.

This deal with the luxury car maker was only one of several new contracts for Hankook, which currently stands as the world's seventh-largest tire maker.

Hankook also expressed its intention of expanding its partnership with BMW to the 5-Series premium sedans, on top of the 1- and 3-Series. It also plans to supply tires for Toyota Motor Corp's new Corolla compact sedan, on top of the iQ minicar.

Hankook had also added Nissan Motor Co Ltd to its customer base by striking a deal to supply tires for the car maker's new Altima sedan.