First Test - Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 Grand Touring All-Season Tire - Longevity, Fuel Efficiency, and Quiet Operation Were Assumed; What We Did not Expect Was the Impressive Winter Performance

OEM-mounted tires often suffer quite a bit of negative consumer reviews because the consumer wants one thing, and the manufacturer that mounted the tire has other priorities. Often, we hear that the “tires wore out at just 30k,” as if that should be a surprise to anyone. Well, let’s put that negativity aside so that we may offer some positive impressions of the Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 all-season, grand touring tire mounted to the 2026 Hyundai Kona Limited.

Kumho - Now Squarely On Our Radar
The Kumho brand was brought to my attention by former long-time Torque News contributor, Aaron Turpen. He and I collaborate on testing and reviews of tires at various outlets, and Aaron had tested a Kumho tire with very positive results. This was my first notice to pay attention when I see a Kumho tire on a media test vehicle. Kumho is a Korean manufacturer. Though the Kumho brand has competitive prices and often offers tires at less than the price of other competitors, this is a quality brand, not a discount or off-label tire.

Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 - What Is It?
This tire is an all-season tire that is not severe snow duty rated, which is fine by us for general use like commuting. It’s a grand touring tire, which means it has good handling manners and is likely very smooth and quiet on the highway. We found that to be the case.

Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 - Which Test Vehicle
We tested this tire for one week on a 2026 Hyundai Kona Limited. This tire is a perfect match for Hyundai’s top trim of the much-loved Kona. Notably, our test vehicle was at the very end of its time in the media fleet and had well over 10,000 miles on the odometer. That was an ideal set of circumstances. Let’s face it, all tires are pretty good when new. We got to test these after a year in service over New England's busted-up up pothole-strewn roadways.

Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 - What Makes It Special?
This particular tire has a few special features aside from the norm for an all-season tire. First and foremost, it is a tire that features Kumho’s K-Silent technology. This is a special acoustic foam inner layer that helps to eliminate road noise. Based on our testing, we can confidently say it works. This tire made the Kona very quiet.

The Majesty 9 Solus TA91 is also tuned for EV duty, even though our Kona tester had a traditional powertrain. EV tuning consists of minimal rolling resistance to increase fuel efficiency. That is always a plus. The tire is also an XL, a.k.a. Extra-load-rated tire. Although our Kona was not particularly heavy, you could use this tire on a car like a Tesla Model 3 or Kona Electric and be assured it could handle the weight and added torque of the EV powertrain.

Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 - Our Tread Depth Measurement and Estimated Lifespan
We measured a 6mm tread depth of this tire that has been in service for well over 10,000 miles. We’d say that equates to a three-year lifespan. OEM tires are almost never optimized for longevity, and Kumho’s 45,000-mile treadwear warranty for this tire seems great to us. If you want a tire with a longer lifespan, Kumho and many other brands have that option for you, but you won't have the other features that this tire has. No tire has everything.

Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 - Our Biggest Positive Surprise
During our testing, we experienced two ice storms. Really freezing rain and refrozen wet snow. It’s been like that for a few years now in our area of Metro Boston. This is a particularly challenging surface on which to drive safely. The Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 impressed us with its grip and handling on this dangerous type of surface. We felt confident that the tire would get us to our destination safely.

Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 - Heavy Rain Performance
In heavy rain, we travelled back-country roads and about 40 minutes of highway driving. Again, we felt glad to have these tires under the Kona. We never had any hydroplaning and the car gripped the cold, wet roads well.

Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 - Prices and Specs
You will find that Tire Rack and other retailers offer versions of this tire with and without the K-Silent technology. With it, the price in this size is $226. Without it, the price is $190. By contrast, the Defender2 is $260, and the Assurance MaxLifey2 is $256. The Falken Ziex CT60 has a closer cost point at $226.

Our test tire was size 235/45R19 99V XL, UTQG: 540 AA A

Owner Reviews
We pulled a few owner reviews from Tire Rack, at which this tire has a ⅘ star average owner score. 
Subaru Crosstrek Owner - “Great tires for the price. The car feel new and the traction has been great in the snow and ice up here in Maine.”
BMW 7 Series Owner - “It was an excellent purchase. I have used this brand before and I intend to stay with the brand.”
Mercedes E-300 Owner - “I mounted these tires on my vehicle, and I must admit I was somewhat apprehensive about not using the same brand that the manufacturer had originally installed. After a year of usage, I can honestly say that these tires are exceptionally dependable, quiet, and aesthetically pleasing on the car. I would certainly recommend them to anyone in search of reliable and budget-friendly tires for their vehicle.”

Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 - Our Final Word
This tire is one we’d match up to the Falken Ziex CT 60 A/S or a Michelin Primacy. It’s that good. Now, if squeezing out the very last possible mile from a tire is your goal, then a Goodyear Assurance MaxLife2 or a Michelin Defender2 is probably more up your alley, but both will cost you more, and you may not find them as quiet.

If you have owned this tire, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 

John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his fourteen years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. John employs grammar and punctuation software when proofreading, and he sometimes uses image generation tools.