About Nexen
Nexen traces its roots to Heung-A Tire, founded in South Korea in 1942. The company was renamed Nexen Tire in 2000 after the Kang family's Nexen Group took control. It runs factories in Yangsan and Changnyeong in South Korea, Qingdao in China and, since 2019, Žatec in the Czech Republic, and supplies original equipment tyres to Hyundai, Kia and several European carmakers.
Strengths
- Very low prices from a recognised manufacturer
- Comfortable, quiet ride on N'Fera and N'blue tyres
- OE supplier to Hyundai and Kia
- Roadian range covers SUVs and pickups cheaply
- Good fit for fleets and second cars
Weaknesses
- Wet braking well behind premium brands
- Shorter tread life and faster heat ageing
- Less stable at high speeds on heavy SUVs
Nexen ranges and prices
| Model | Type | Rims | Price per tyre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nexen N'Fera Sport | Ultra-high performance summer | 16–20 inch | AED 300 – AED 700 |
| Nexen N'Fera RU1 | Performance SUV summer | 16–22 inch | AED 380 – AED 850 |
| Nexen N'blue HD Plus | Economy touring | 13–18 inch | AED 170 – AED 420 |
| Nexen Roadian HTX2 | Highway terrain SUV / pickup | 15–20 inch | AED 330 – AED 750 |
| Nexen Roadian ATX | All-terrain 4x4 / pickup | 15–20 inch | AED 380 – AED 800 |
Cars it suits
- Nissan Sunny
- Hyundai Accent
- Kia Pegas
- Toyota Yaris
- Hyundai Tucson
- Kia Seltos
- Mitsubishi L200
- Changan CS35
Our ratings out of 10
- Wet grip
- 6
- Dry grip
- 7
- Comfort
- 7
- Quietness
- 7
- Tread life
- 6
- Heat resistance
- 6
Performance
Nexen tyres are comfortable and quiet in daily driving, and the N'Fera Sport has reasonable dry grip and steering for its price. The main weakness is wet braking: stopping distances are noticeably longer than with premium tyres, so take extra care in the first rains of winter and in wet underpasses. On heavy SUVs at 140 km/h, Nexen tyres feel less planted than Japanese or European rivals, so they are best suited to urban and moderate highway use.
Durability and tread life
Expect around 30,000–40,000 km on compact sedans and 30,000–40,000 km on crossovers in UAE conditions. Nexen compounds harden with heat faster than premium tyres, so after about 3–4 years grip falls noticeably even if tread remains. For cars that do under 15,000 km a year, plan to replace Nexen tyres on age rather than wear, and inspect for sidewall cracking every service.
Nexen in UAE conditions
Nexen stock in the UAE is mostly made in South Korea and China. Because these tyres are often bought on price, some sellers move older stock: check the DOT code and refuse anything older than 2 years, for example a code of 1124 on a tyre bought in late 2026. Nexen is a sensible budget pick for small cars and delivery fleets in Dubai and Sharjah, but for long highway runs to Abu Dhabi with a full family load, a mid-range brand is the safer choice.
